Repeat
by DenniBenni
Summary: Part four in my series "You'll Always Come Back", "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back", and "I'll Be Alright, One Day, Some Day, Just Not Today". An old enemy has returned and has plans for Tim. But...This enemy also has plans for Jason as well.
1. Blood Stains

AN: Uhh...Ok you know how this series ended? Well, it did...Originally. But, I've changed my mind, you see, and I had the greatest idea for another installment! Now, this is a bit AU from the Young Justice series AND the Batman comics, so just bear with me darlings! Something that I changed is, Wally is not dead and never was. The Reach was defeated and they lived happily ever after, or so they thought. You'll see the change I made to the comics at the end of the chapter. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or any of its characters!

Summary: Part four in my series "You'll Always Come Back", "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back", and "I'll Be Alright, One Day, Some Day, Just Not Today". An old enemy has returned and has plans for Tim. But...This enemy also has plans for Jason as well.

Chapter One

"_Blood Stains"_

The sound of running water enveloped the room. It was loud, but not to him. The only thing he heard was his labored breathing and his heart hammering against his ribcage. He wanted to scream, but his throat was clogged with tears and sobs.

"_Stupid, stupid, stop crying."_

He couldn't, even as he ordered himself over and over again, the tears still streamed his face and the person behind him still shushed him and told him everything was ok. It wasn't. It really wasn't because he had done the most terrible act. He had broken the most important rule. He was a disgrace to the Robin uniform. _Almost._

The cold water from the sink washed the blood away as the person behind him assisted him in washing them clean. He was shaking so much…So much and the red blood clashed terribly with the white porcelain sink.

"Tim, buddy, calm down," The voice behind him ordered. "Calm down, ok? It was an accident."

Tim shook his head, tears squeezing through and making small tracks across his cheeks. He hissed, "I d-didn't…no…Dick no…It's…Bad…It's really bad. Really, really bad."

"Shh," Dick muttered, scrubbing the rest of the blood from Tim's fingers and palms. From under his nails. Tim looked up in the mirror, seeing a splash of blood under his nose. He felt relief realizing _that _blood belonged to himself. Not the guy…The guy…Oh God…

"No, no, no," Tim hissed, backing away from the sink and mirror, pushing himself further into Dick's chest. "Dick, I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry."

Dick turned Tim around a bit more forcefully that he had wanted. He gripped the fourteen year old's arms and said sternly, "Tim, you didn't do _anything. _That guy…He's gonna be fine. He's…He's messed up, but he's gonna be ok. And so are you. Stop."

Tim's fingers clenched and unclenched, numb from the cold water. He blinked several times to clear his vision before he croaked almost helplessly, "What's wrong with me?"

Dick let out a sound that Tim knew was pity. The towel around his shoulders was wrapped tighter and he was pulled close. For a moment he knew he must be getting the blood from his nose onto Dick's uniform, but Alfred had the best stain remover in the world for things like that.

"Nothing's wrong with you," Dick whispered. "Nothing."

"Everyone's gonna see," Tim stated, the emotion slipping from his tone. It was turning to dust as he continued, "Those people recorded what I did on their phones…It'll be everywhere by tomorrow morning. They're gonna see that Robin is a monster…Bruce is gonna _see _it."

Dick sighed and rubbed the back of Tim's damp hair before ordering, "Don't think about it. Let's get you cleaned up, ok? Then you can sleep."

"_I wish it was that simple…I really wish it was…"_

* * *

It wasn't the first thing he wanted to see when he woke up that morning. It really wasn't. Lian had just gotten over a bad cold, so he was finally getting to sleep all night again. Plus, with Jade on her trip to God knows where…well…He had been a bit preoccupied.

And the first thing he sees when he enters the kitchen…

Jason Todd…Passed out on his floor…

"Ah…Come ooon…I can't catch a break," Roy hissed, approaching the teenager. From the way Jason was gripping that beer bottle for dear life, it seemed he had been making his way to the fridge when he fell. He was probably so drunk he tripped and didn't feel like getting up.

Rolling his eyes, Roy jabbed his foot into Jason's ribcage before ordering, "Jason, get up."

There was a small grunt, but nothing else. Roy let out a frustrated puff of air as he kicked him again and ordered louder this time, "Get off my kitchen floor!"

Another grunt, but Jason simply rolled away from Roy, not opening his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, Roy moved to the cabinets before pulling out a large bowl. It only took about fifteen seconds to fill it to the brim with ice water.

"Just remember," Roy whispered, holding the bowl over Jason's body. "You asked for it."

He then emptied it onto the teen.

Jason was up in a second, coughing and sputtering as he looked around. His head throbbed dully until he looked up to see Roy smirking at him. Jason pushed his hair out of his eyes before shouting, "What the hell, man!?"

"Oh good, you're awake," Roy said, throwing the bowl into the sink. "Awesome, you can clean up this mess."

Roy then exited the kitchen, going into the living room and switching on the television. Jason stood slowly, rubbing his head as the hangover took effect. His clothes made him shiver a bit in the cold of the kitchen. Jason asked icily, "What was that for?"

Roy sighed, leaning back and placing his feet on the coffee table. He changed the channels as he said, "I thought the point of you having your own apartment was for you to be able to stay there whenever you got drunk. Not to come stumbling into my house and passing out on my kitchen floor."

"Your place was closer," Jason stated simply. "Plus, I had to avoid where the "family" patrols."

Roy chuckled, "What? Scared _daddy _will catch you drinking?"

"No," Jason snapped, "_Daddy _was in Star City last night, thanks. He was actually helping Oliver with something. I didn't want to run into Dickie-Bird."

"Or the kid," Roy added.

Jason's eyes narrowed and Roy shrugged, continuing, "We both know you've been trying to avoid him the past four months. And I mean that's fine, it's your business. If you wanna abandon your little brother without an explanation, that's fine-"

"I didn't freaking abandon him without an explanation," Jason snapped, his voice rising a bit in frustration. "I told him that I couldn't be Mr. "Lovey-Dovey-Family-Guy". It's not humanly possible for me to move back in with them."

Roy looked at Jason before saying, "Tim thinks so."

"Tim is an optimist."

"Tim is a realist."

Jason groaned, shaking his head as he pulled on his soaked clothes in discomfort. "I'm done arguing with you. Imma go shower. Taking your clothes, by the way."

"Um…Jay…I think you're gonna wanna see this…"

Jason turned in confusion, slowly making his way to the living room. Roy turned the volume up on the T.V. as the voice of Gordon Godfrey was audible. Jason rolled his eyes and groaned, "God, I hate this guy."

"Shut up and listen."

"…_I mean honestly, if the Justice League can't even control their own sidekicks, what makes us think they can control crime? Let's just show that video again of Robin, that's right, Robin, nearly killing a man…"_

Jason's eyes narrowed on the screen as a video came into view. It was blurry and not well taken, but there seemed to be a man on the ground being _beaten _by someone above him. Completely torn apart, and not with fists…The man's chest was being carved with a batarang held in the figures hand.

And then Jason saw it…And he realized…

It was Tim.

The boy only stopped when a figure in black and blue appeared and took him away from the people. The shaky and dark video then turned off and Godfrey's voice returned stating…

"_That __**child **__was slicing this man open like a pumpkin on Halloween! This man was a criminal yes, but if we allow just anyone to run around taking the law into their own hands by killing off the bad, then there is no line between good and evil. The Justice League __**and **__their little heroes need to learn their place in this world. And their places are not to be judges."_

"The Hell!?" Jason shouted suddenly, kicking the television off the table. Roy watched blankly, knowing that a reaction like that was coming. That T.V. has taken its fair share of kicks from Jason Todd.

Jason stood still a moment, running a hand through his damp hair. He whispered under his breath something inaudible…Something like, "What the hell are you doing, kid?"

Roy poked out his lips before suggesting, "You know…You could always go see him and ask."

Jason turned and glared, causing Roy to raise his hands in defense, "Sorry, sorry."

"You better be."

* * *

"I allowed him to wear the suit too soon."

Dick didn't respond to Bruce's statement and instead stared at the floor. He couldn't exactly argue. He had been reluctant to let Tim into the suit so soon after his recovery. It was their fault…This man…Sure he had been a criminal, but he had just been a petty criminal. He stole fifty bucks for Christ's sake.

For some reason though, Tim lost it on this one. Neither knew why, and Tim wouldn't tell them why.

Finally, Dick whispered, "I just don't understand. He…He's been doing so well…I mean; we took him out of therapy two months ago. And a month after that he was back in the suit. We re-exposed him to the team gradually and sent him back to school. He was doing so, so well."

"Maybe it's a relapse," Bruce muttered, biting his thumb nail as he sat in his office chair, staring at his desk with a perplexed look that would make Sherlock Holmes cringe. "Leslie says that patients have them all the time. A quick snap backward and then forward again."

"I just…I don't think so, Bruce," Dick said, looking at his adoptive father. "I mean…When I got him back on the rooftops and away from all the people, I took his mask off and he wasn't even _there. _H-he was empty, just like the day we rescued him from Ra's. It was…Scary."

Bruce grimaced at that before he leaned back in his chair. He was lost. Honest to God lost at the moment. He wasn't sure what to do or how to do it. When Jason had come back…Well he had refused help. But, he had been older than Tim…Not more capable by any means, but still older. Tim was still so _young _and he still depended on adults for certain things.

Bruce finally spoke, saying, "I'll take him out…For the time being. No active duty. He can go to the mountain and he can spar, but I don't want him going on patrol or missions, got it?"

Dick almost argued, but it was useless. Bruce had spoken those words in finality, so he just nodded in agreement.

Arguing is pointless whenever Bruce is in father mode.

* * *

"Tell me what happened last night, Tim," Dr. Leslie Thompkins said in a voice as soft as pillows. Tim wanted so badly to tell her. He wanted to…and he tried…But, each time he attempted to form a sentence, a simple croak escaped his mouth. Followed by a sob and he just…He didn't know why he was crying so much…He didn't know…

Tim sat on his bed, Leslie in a chair beside it. He had his legs pulled up to his chest, his face hidden in his knees. The world was spinning uncontrollably. It was twisting and turning so much he felt sick to his stomach.

His sniffed, trying to clear his airways as he muttered shakily, "I don't…I don't know…It was…I-It was different. L-Like I wasn't controlling myself. I wanted…I wanted to _hurt _him. And I don't know why…He was just a petty criminal. He didn't…I don't…"

He trailed off the broken sentences as his body began to shake uncontrollably. He shook his head slowly and looked up, asking, "What's happening? I thought I was…Better."

"I don't know, Tim," Leslie stated honestly, giving the boy a look of sadness. "I honestly can't tell you right now. But, personally, I think you should rest for a while. Sleep, drink a lot of fluids, and maybe watch a few movies with Dick. Focus on school for a while even. Just…take a break."

Tim sucked in a deep breath and opened his mouth to argue. Leslie gave him a stern look and his mouth closed immediately, followed by a nod and a slight smile. He whispered, "Alright Leslie…You're the doc."

"Good boy," Leslie chuckled before standing and kissing the top of the child's head. She had grown quite fond of him over their time of knowing each other. She was fond of all the boys, including Bruce. And…Jason. God, she wished she could have done more for him.

Leslie then turned and walked towards the exit of the large room, glancing back to see Tim wiping his face quickly, trying to get rid of the tears. She smiled fondly before asking, "Remember what I said about crying, Tim?"

Tim stared at her a moment before murmuring, "It's ok."

"Exactly."

She then grabbed the doorknob and entered the hall. Her eyes widened as she jumped back, seeing Bruce standing there in a dark business suit, seemingly waiting for her. She huffed, turning to close the door so that Tim couldn't hear them. She asked with venom in her tone, "Are you trying to give an old woman a heart attack?"

"How is he?"

Her eyes narrowed as she answered, "As well as can be expected. I told you he shouldn't have been allowed back in the suit after what happened."

Bruce glanced away a moment, and Leslie sighed, knowing she had hit a sore nerve. Shaking her head she explained, "Let him rest for a while. Mentally and physically. Let him do some kid stuff with Dick or some of his other friends. No patrols or missions until I say so, ok?"

The man gave a stiff nod and Leslie brushed some of her grey hair out of her face before lowering her voice…

"It would be good for him to see Jason also."

Suddenly, Bruce was as straight as a board before he said, "I don't see why Jason is a factor."

"Jason knows how Tim is feeling," Leslie snapped. "I think it'll help-"

Bruce raised a hand and stopped her from speaking before replying gruffly, "I'm afraid that is a personal decision and I do not want to make it at the moment. I'll think about it."

Leslie rolled her eyes and turned, beginning to walk down the hall. Before she disappeared completely however, she turned and ordered, "Go talk to your son."

_Which one?_

* * *

Jade Nguyen was silent as she was led into the large hall. She knew this place…This palace. It was all familiar, because well, she had worked for these people many years ago it seemed. It had been a while honestly, but she could still recognized every little crack and crevice. She had learned a lot here. Many things about combat and mind tactics.

The ninjas behind her were what she understood to be a "precautionary". Her last departure had been a bit messy. She didn't like these people, and they didn't like her. But, even she had enough sense to know when she was outnumbered and beaten. Now it was just a matter of escape.

She pulled at the bindings behind her back as she glanced up, seeing two dark figures standing side by side. One was cloaked and the other was not. The other was a woman and Jade knew exactly who she was…

Talia al Ghul.

When they came to a stop, Jade was forced to her knees in front of the two figures. Yet, she still couldn't see the other's face. Talia placed a hand on her hip as she greeted, "Hello Cheshire."

"Well, if it isn't the spoiled bitch. Daddy still missing somewhere at the bottom of a cliff?"

Talia's eyes narrowed, but soon the anger was washed away when she straightened her shoulders and replied, "Actually, my father's body _was _recovered. But, you see, after the…Mishap with The Detective's child…He and his Justice League destroyed every remaining pit when they returned to Earth after their trial. So…Bringing him back will be a bit more…Difficult."

Jade glanced at the hooded figure, almost expecting it to add something. She then looked back over at Talia and shrugged, "That's life I suppose. Always getting screwed up."

"Yes, but there is a solution however," Talia continued, barely taking Jade's words into account. "I've recently discovered a new method of resurrecting my father. But, this method can only be performed on the winter solstice in three weeks. In order for it to be done, I need the blood of two certain boys I believe you can assist me in capturing."

Jade's eyes narrowed as Talia continued, "Jason Todd and Timothy Drake. Their blood is needed for the ritual. They will not be killed…But, their blood will be needed for the pure fact of the Lazarus residue that is still circulating in their systems. Though, I'm quite positive my father would like to keep both as a…Prize of sorts. Considering one is his heir and the other is his murderer. He's a bit sentimental."

A scoff escaped Jade as she snapped, "Clearly you haven't realized that those happen to be two allies of mine."

"And clearly you do not realize the type of situation you are in," Talia stated harshly. "Your young daughter, your wheelchair bound mother, your sister and her boyfriend. Even your beloved husband are all in danger. If you would like to preserve their lives you will assist me in capturing Jason and Timothy."

Jade's body went rigged as Talia spoke those words. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Don't you _dare_ touch my family."

Talia pulled a small communicator from her hip and said simply, "One word and I can have them all dead on the spot. Any time, of any day. I will call off my assassins as soon as you bring me what I want. You will also be kept in the Shadows' custody until then, do you understand me?"

Jade swallowed thickly before hissing, "_Yes._ I understand you, bitch."

"Good," Talia replied, placing the communicator back on her belt and gesturing towards the hooded figure, "_He _will assist you. I have assigned him in obtaining custody of Timothy; you will obtain custody of Jason. Also, he will be what you would call a parole officer of some sort. Making sure you do not try and send a warning to your family."

Jade watched as the figure pulled the cloak off his head to show two piercing blue eyes. He had a dark mop of hair on top of his head, matching the black shine of the cloak. Jade's eyebrows furrowed as she realized the boy couldn't be more than sixteen.

"Cheshire, this is who you will be making strategy plans with over the next few days," Talia's voice explained.

"This is my son, Damian al Ghul."

* * *

And Ta-da! That was the other change. For people who didn't understand Damian has joined the story BUT the reason he is a bit AU is because he is two years older than Tim in the story. I needed to do this so that the story would flow better and you'll understand why in later chapters. But, never fear, he'll still be his witty, confident, and smarty self. :) Hope you enjoyed, please review!


	2. Oxygen

AN: Just a friendly reminder that Damian's age is AU in this story. Hope you enjoy the chapter! Sorry for any mistakes, wanted to get it posted ASAP.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters

Chapter Two

"_Oxygen"_

Tim didn't like movie night. Well…He did to a certain extent. He liked hanging out with Dick. That was always nice because ever since Tim had gotten better, Dick had been in Blüdhaven more often. Not that it upset him, he was glad Dick was finally getting back to his normal life as a cop. But…Still…He missed him from time to time.

What he didn't like about movie night was when Artemis and Wally would join them. Honestly, he loved the two of them very much, but…They were very bad about talking throughout the whole movie and Tim just…Couldn't stand it.

He watched silently as the credits rolled on the screen and the room was completely silent, besides the background music for _"Grease"_. Why they had watched that…Well, he didn't know. Dick had picked it out and it happened to be one of his favorites. Especially when he and Wally would start singing at the top of their lungs, leaving Artemis and Tim to cover their ears.

Glancing back, Tim found Dick to be passed out on the couch, fast asleep. On the floor in front of the couch were Artemis and Wally curled up together in the same state. Tim smiled a little, standing from where he had been sitting on the floor before he clicked off the television and exited the theater.

The fourteen year old blinked hard as he entered the hall, his eyes adjusting to the dimmer light. He moved left, avoiding every squeaky board he had memorized until the chill on his feet turned into soft plush carpet. Pushing the door to Bruce's study open, he entered without invitation, knowing his mentor wouldn't be there.

The light on the desk was on, glowing orange throughout the room as he moved towards the clock that was used to enter the cave. It opened with ease and he slipped inside, a shiver running up and down his spine as the carpet turned into cold stone. He could already hear the bats as he made his way down the stairs. They were wide awake, probably getting ready to go out on their nightly feeds.

Once Tim made it to the final step, his eyes scanned the room. Within seconds they had landed on his mentor who seemed to be readying himself for patrol. Tim sighed deeply before moving forward towards him, ignoring the knot in his stomach.

"Bruce?" Tim whispered carefully, though his voice echoed through the cave. Bruce paused while he put his gloves on before continuing; only giving a slight grunt in response. Tim shifted on his two feet, looking down at the ground before asking, "Can…May…I ask you something?"

Tim knew he had only corrected his grammar to stall the question. Even if it was only for those few seconds. Bruce stopped completely and turned to look at his youngest child, giving a slight nod of his head so that Tim knew he could continue.

Taking in a deep breath, Tim asked in a clear voice, "When can I go on patrol again?"

Bruce looked away in an instant and began to move again. Tim's shoulders tensed because he knew what they meant. There would be no answer. When Bruce began to walk away, Tim's blood boiled, his face flushing with frustration. He clenched his fists shouting, "Bruce!"

Bruce stopped, not looking back, but Tim knew he had his attention. Tim continued angrily, "Answer me. Please."

When there was no reply, just silence, Tim screamed, "Answer me!"

"Woah," A voice stated from the stairs, causing Tim to whirl around. There Dick stood, his hair askew and his eyes half-awake. He continued with, "What's goin' on?"

Tim swallowed thickly before looking back at Bruce. He hissed, "Nothing…Nothing…"

Tim then turned on his heels and rushed back up the stairs, dodging Dick's hand. Both males heard the clock open and close quickly and Dick looked at Bruce asking in an annoyed tone, "What did you do?"

"Go back to sleep," Bruce ordered, turning and pulling his cowl over his head. Dick's shoulders straightened at that because he was certainly not a child and would not be ordered around like one…

But, as Bruce drove away in the batmobile, Dick didn't make a sound besides a sigh as he moved up the stairs to continue his slumber.

It was too late for this mess…

* * *

Jason was thankful for the helmet tonight. It was exceptionally colder and from the way Roy kept rubbing his face like it was about to ice over, he was especially happy for it. He grunted as they landed on another building, rolling to take some of the momentum from the jump. He stood to full height again, breathing heavily as he looked over at Roy, who was rubbing his face once more.

"Cold, huh?" Jason asked.

Roy rolled his eyes behind the mask and grumbled, "Were you even listening to anything I was saying?"

Sighing, Jason replied, "You're worried about Jade because she hasn't contacted you in a few days, so what?"

"So what?" Roy hissed. "Dude, she's the mother of my child and my _wife._"

"Only technically," Jason pointed out. "You two fight more than the old-man and I did when I was a kid."

Roy was silent and Jason shook his head, his voice becoming a quiet as possible as he stated, "Look…I'm sure she's just busy kicking ass like always. She's just busy; it's not the first time she's done this."

"I guess," Roy muttered. "Just-"

The red head was cut off suddenly by a woman's scream. Both males stiffened immediately, looking to the right over the ledge of the building. They moved forward carefully before peering over to see where the source of the scream had come from. It wasn't a strange sight what they saw. It was something they saw often in Gotham.

Two guys beating up a prostitute.

Jason shook his head and looked at Roy before saying, "Wanna get involved?"

"Mine as well," Roy replied. "Nothing else to do."

And with that both jumped off the side of the building, landing in the alley with as much grace possible for Jason Todd and Roy Harper. Roy was the first to move, knocking the first guy out with the side of his bow. Jason on the other hand was a bit less merciful. He simply aimed his gun at the other guy, not giving him time to react before he fired. With that, he fell over dead.

"Aw, come on man," Roy hissed, wiping the blood splatter from the guy off his shirt. "What ever happened to _cleaning up _Gotham, not blood staining it?"

Jason raised an eyebrow, "Since when has Gotham _not _been blood stained." He then turned, looking at the woman on the ground. He asked, "You ok?"

There wasn't a reply. Jason simply watched as the woman dug through both mens' pockets and took their wallets. Neither Jason nor Roy protested. Wasn't doing those guys any good. Roy stepped aside as she ran past them and out of the alley. Roy gave Jason a look before scoffing, "No thank you?"

"They aren't usually appreciative," Jason stated, shrugging his shoulders. "I've helped enough to know. One lady threw her heel at me after I saved her."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

Roy opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the sound of a soft thump behind them. Both turned quickly, their eyes wide behind either mask and/or helmet. Jason cursed quietly under his breath when he registered who it was…

Batman.

"Uh-oh," Roy mumbled, looking back at the bloody body. He then looked at Jason and whispered, "You might wanna start running now, Jay-Bird."

Jason didn't reply, instead he shot his grappling hook immediately, pulling himself up to the next building. He heard another shoot behind him that he knew belonged to Batman. As soon as his feet hit the pebbles of the building, he took off into a sprint towards the other side. It was a short enough distance to jump without using the grabble again, so he was slightly thankful for that.

Usually Batman didn't chase him. Actually it was hard to remember the last time he had been chased down by the old-man. But, sometimes Bruce tried to be the "strict father" type and attempted to arrest Jason. Once he actually had. Jason had been stuck in Arkham for a week after that.

It was usually when Bruce wasn't in the mood for games and this must have been one of those nights.

By the time he was on the fourth building, he felt a rope wrap itself around is legs, causing him to fall onto his face. Sometimes the helmet helped with things like that, but in this instance the side of his cheek slammed into the inside. He grunted, muttering profanity as he sat up just in time to be tackled.

"Damn it," Jason hissed, sending a punch into Batman's chin. "Get off me."

The only reply he got as Batman attempted to subdue him was, "You killed someone, Jason. I can't allow that."

"Aw hell," Jason grunted sarcastically, kicking the other in the chest, sending him a few feet away. "Guess I'm gonna get grounded, huh Pops?"

"This isn't a game," Bruce growled, but made no attempt to move forward again. Jason stood, brushing off his clothes and rolling his neck. "Killing is-"

Jason waved his hand and said, "Yeah, yeah: Immoral, a path to the dark side, all that Yoda bull crap. Look, I don't have time for you right now. Even though I'm bored out of my mind this isn't exactly my idea of entertainment, so see ya."

With that the younger turned and began to walk away. Jason knew Bruce wouldn't follow. He was just that kind of 'father'. He'd get angry, attempt to scare the crap out of you, and when he realized he couldn't he would just let you do whatever the hell you wanted. Jason had to admit, Bruce did spoil his kids. He spoiled them like any other rich daddy did. In Jason's case, Bruce constantly let him off the hook for murder when if it had been any other criminal, he wouldn't have hesitated to lock them up.

And that made Jason _glad _that he could cause Bruce inner turmoil.

Because in his mind, he deserved it.

All of it…

* * *

Artemis wasn't exactly expecting to wake up with a pancake being shoved in her face. Her eyes snapped open when the smell entered her nose and she looked up to see her boyfriend smiling with his own pancake hanging out his mouth. She raised an eyebrow, sitting up slowly on the softest couch in Wayne Manor. Carefully she took the pancake and muttered, "Thanks Babe…"

"Awmygawdthey'resogood," Wally attempted to say with his mouth full of food. He swallowed when Artemis made a confused face and repeated, "They're so good."

"Ah," She smirked. "They are, aren't they? Alfred is the best cook."

Wally plopped down on the couch next to her and nodded, grabbing another off of his plate and shoving it in his mouth. Wally hummed, "This is why I always like staying over here. Alfred feeds me. And he enjoys it too, unlike some people."

Artemis glared, "I'm sorry that I'm not a billionaire who can restock the fridge anytime of the day."

Wally poked out his lips at that, but didn't reply. Instead he continued to eat his pancakes until a voice entered the room, asking, "Eating breakfast without me, I see."

Both looked up to see Barbara Gordon smiling at them as she leaned against the doorway. Wally shrugged and smiled, "Early bird catches the worm."

"Ah but that's where you're wrong," She chuckled, approaching him and snatching a pancake from his plate. "I'm a bat."

"You're so corny," Artemis laughed.

Barbara rolled her eyes and asked, "Speaking of birds, where's Dick?"

"Right here," Dick's voice stated, entering the room and throwing down his keys on the coffee table. "I went to drop Tim off at the mall to hang out with Bart and Jaime. Just to let him get out of the house for a while. Whatcha need, Babs?"

Barbara was silent a moment, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to answer that question in front of the other two people in the room. Pushing a strand of red hair from her face she shifted on her feet before giving Dick a look that was almost a warning to keep calm in a sense. She sighed, beginning to explain, "I was going through Bruce's reports from last night. Apparently he had a run in with Jason and they scrapped a bit. I just…Thought you'd like to know about it."

Dick's shoulders tensed and the room was suddenly a nauseating quiet. Wally scratched the back of his head before taking another bite of pancake, waiting for the show to unfold. Dick ran a hand through his dark hair and hissed, "I'll talk to him."

He then turned, exiting the room with a puff of air. Barbara sighed and looked back at the other two.

"Well...Can't imagine how that conversation is gonna go."

* * *

Tim fiddled with his straw from where he sat silently in the food court. Bart was rambling and arguing with Jaime about something that Tim just couldn't seem to care about. And he thought he had gotten better about that. The zoning out and the cruelty of just _not caring. _That made him sick a bit and he almost wanted to throw up the cheese fries he had just eaten. He sighed, looking up and studying his two friends. He couldn't hear them; their voices were muffled in his head as his thoughts tried to overrun each other.

Jumbled words, jumbled moments, jumbled faces, and jumbled sounds. It made his head pound with frustration and sadness. He looked away quickly, blinking hard as he hollowed out every emotion within him to the point that he could hear once more and the world wasn't so evil.

Because he knew evil. He had witnessed it. Experienced it. _Felt _it.

And almost immediately his attention was captured by Bart asking, "You agree, don't you Tim?"

Tim looked over to see Bart staring at him intently. Tim opened his mouth to reply, but shut it quickly. He managed to say quietly, "I…I didn't hear…Sorry."

Bart poked out his bottom lip and Jaime scoffed, "Then I win by default."

"No!" Bart shouted. "That's not…Shut up ok, you know I'm right."

Tim ran a hand through his messy hair, "What are you guys talking about?"

Jaime looked at Tim, raising an eyebrow before shoving a thumb in Bart's direction saying, "This guy thinks unicorns are real."

"I'm not lying!" Bart shouted. "They have them in the future!"

Tim tilted his head slightly before his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his name. Not _his _name…But, _Robin._

Tim looked over with wide eyes, his pupils growing large as he saw the giant television screen in the food court. He didn't even have to look at it for five seconds to see what was happening…It was that video. That stupid, stupid video of that night. He breathed out slowly in an attempt to calm his racing heart as he bit down on his lip. It was_ him _slashing into that man. _Him. Him._

Tim looked away a moment, shutting his eyes tightly. He heard Jaime say carefully, "Dude…We can go-"

"No…No wait," Tim whispered, looking back at the television with glassy eyes. He knew it was him, but something felt off. Completely off…The way his arms were moving in the video, slashing into the man's chest.

It was _methodical. _Mechanical even. Something that was taught and Tim…He didn't…

Oh…But, he did.

His body went rigid almost immediately upon realization. His jaw dropped as a sound escaped the back of his throat. Bart asked slowly, "Tim…What…What is it?"

"Those moves weren't taught by Batman," Tim muttered so quietly Jaime and Bart almost couldn't hear.

Jaime looked confused, "Then…Who taught them to you?"

Tim almost wanted to scream at him for idiocy, but he didn't. But, the panic rushing through him at the moment prevented that as he bit down on the inside of his cheek and murmured…

"Ra's al Ghul."

"What?" Bart asked, confusion evident in his tone. "What…What does that mean then?"

Tim shook his head and answered in a cold voice, "I don't know…But, I'm gonna find out."

Both Jaime and Bart glanced at each other worriedly as Tim pushed himself away from the table and stormed off through the food court. They stood also and followed, not saying a word to one another.

Both knew it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Jason shoved himself through Roy's window so fast his own head spun. His shoes slammed onto the wood floor forcefully as he glanced around, seeing Roy in the kitchen ignoring the other's presence, but he knew it was known. Narrowing his eyes, Jason stomped towards the older before growling, "You are so damn lucky you're holding that baby because if you weren't I would kick your ass!"

Roy looked up, blinking as he put the warm bottle in Lian's mouth. He bounced gently, asking in a confused tone, "What's your problem?"

"Problem?" Jason hissed. "My problem is you bailed on me last night and let the old man chase me down!"

"I didn't want to get involved with your family affairs," Roy offered pitifully. Soon the straight face turned into a smirk as he continued, "Plus I find it funny how you still run from your "daddy" whenever you get into trouble."

Jason's eyes narrowed as he stated bluntly…

"Alright, put the baby down. I'm gonna kick your ass."

* * *

Bruce tried to ignore him. He really did, because at this point Dick was in one of his mindsets where he just screamed and for some reason talked with his hands. He was angry and Bruce honestly couldn't see why. It wasn't exactly something for Dick to get involved with in the first place, so why would he be so mad?

Ah well…Bruce had never been very good at understanding the emotions his children were feeling. He had blocked so many of them out for years that he couldn't _feel _them anymore. But…There was something…Their eyes. For some reason if he looked into their eyes he could feel every piece of pain and sorrow they were feeling and that _hurt. _Bruce tried to avoid that. He didn't like it.

Which was childish…To avoid it simply because it hurt him emotionally. When he saw Tim's night terrors after returning from trial, he had assumed Dick had been exaggerating when talking about them. But…Seeing Tim's eyes when he woke up. The horror and terror that would etch itself into his youngest's features…It was painful.

And Tim screamed every night for weeks. Sometimes the dreams were about Ra's and other times they were about Jason. Jason leaving, Ra's taking him. It was just…Horrible. For a while Bruce avoided it. Stood outside his son's door and allowed Dick to comfort Tim. Because Dick was better at it. He could hold Tim and Bruce couldn't describe how grateful he was that Dick hadn't turned out like Bruce. Unable to feel emotion and touch another human being. He wondered how Dick got to be like that when Bruce had never really shown physical affection, but Dick always had.

Jason tolerated the hugs during his time here. And Bruce knew the boy secretly enjoyed the affection because he hadn't received it on the streets. Tim had been a different story. Tim had been so uncomfortable with touch and attention. Being the youngest that had to be hard because that's where a lot of the attention is aimed.

Bruce blinked, tearing away from his thought as he focused on Dick who was still ranting. He only made it partially into the sentence…

"…I mean when Jason beat the ever-loving Hell out of Tim, you didn't do _anything _to try and catch him. But, he kills some random guy in an alleyway and all of a sudden you choose not to play favorites?"

The man stared at his son with an impassive stare before sighing. He looked down at his papers and replied gruffly, "I don't have time to talk about this right now."

Bruce didn't flinch when Dick's hand slammed on the desk in front of him. He looked up slowly, the infamous bat-glare appearing on his face as he stared directly into the eyes of his eldest, feeling the anger that radiated off of him. Dick hissed, "Just like you don't have time to talk to Timmy? You know, your kid. My little brother. The _same_ little brother who was killed and brought back from the dead as a zombie. The one who almost killed a guy and is beating himself up about it, that little brother!?"

Bruce stood quickly, causing Dick to stand up straight reflexively. But, the look in Dick's eyes never wavered, even when Bruce growled in a feral tone, "Leave Dick. I'm losing patience."

Dick scoffed, but turned nonetheless, walking towards the old wooden door of the study. He grabbed the door knob, but glanced back long enough to say, "Just remember, Bruce, kids are a privilege, not a right. So, if you don't give Tim the emotional support he needs, I'll take that privilege away from you. Adoptive son or not."

Bruce watched as Dick yanked the door open and slammed it behind him. The man slowly sat back down in his chair, letting out a long sigh. It wasn't the first time Dick had threatened to take Tim without exactly coming out and saying it straight forward. Because kids were…a territorial thing. That's why custody battles were always so nasty. When you care for a child, you feel they're better off with you and it's insulting when someone says you're not fit to do so.

And Dick knew it pushed Bruce's buttons when he threatened things like that. Which is why he said it.

It was just meant to hurt.

* * *

Jade couldn't help but pace as Damian leaned over the map of Gotham city. The room was dark besides one light that hung over the large table. His eyes were squinted as he held a marker in one hand and a dagger in the other. He was constantly circling buildings and streets, though Jade didn't know why. It all seemed pretty pointless; she had seen less work go into a military operation. This was just kidnapping. Drugging people.

"This is stupid," Jade finally huffed, stopping to put her arms over her chest next to the dark haired boy. "I want to get this over this. It's bad enough I'm betraying allies, but planning everything down to the 't' is kind of annoying."

She paused a moment before shaking her head, "Roy is gonna be pissed…Jason is like…His _only _friend. That's gonna be one Hell of an argument."

Damian looked up from the map slowly, his face holding frustration as he ordered fiercely, "Quiet, I do not 'half-ass' my assignments. They come in lack of numbers, so being successful is mandatory. Planning it out to the last step is how you do things correctly. But, you wouldn't know that considering your idiocy and poor planning is what got you kicked out of the League."

Jade tilted her head to the side. It wasn't often a child spoke that way to her. This Damian kid _was _tall. Taller than Jade herself. But, his voice sounded like it had just finished the changes of puberty. He couldn't be too old.

Jade shook her head and snapped, "I actually _quit _the League, thank you. And it's not my fault your _mommy _never lets you out of your room." She paused and continued, "You're too young for missions like this anyway. How old are you? Fourteen? Fifteen?"

She flinched a bit when the dagger was pressed against her throat. Her eyes widened and Damian glared with icy blue eyes. He seethed, "I suggest you silence yourself before I cut out your larynx. And for future reference, I turned sixteen three months ago."

Jade raised an eyebrow as the blade was removed. She chuckled in response, "You're good, kid. But, not good enough."

Damian didn't have time to reply before she sent a kick to the back of his knee. He grunted, but recovered quickly, swinging the small blade in her direction. Jade grabbed his wrist, using her elbow to remove it from his grip, sending it across the small room. Damian's mouth twisted upward and Jade was almost frightened by the feral look on his face when he kneed her in the stomach. She bent over in pain, receiving a kick to the shoulder, sending her onto her back.

Jade blinked, trying to catch her breath from the impact. It was paused when the blade returned to her neck, this time drawing a bit of blood. Her eyes focused on Damian who was kneeling beside her, smirking cruelly. Soon it turned into an annoyed glare as he said calmly, "Try that again and I'll kill you and your family. Then proceed to obtain my targets. Your choice."

Jade wanted to slap that smug look in his eyes, but simply nodded. She knew defeat and this kid was clearly trained far greater than she herself was.

And that…that really pissed her off.

She watched as Damian stood, returning his eyes back to the map as he asked, "Back to work, hm?"

Oh yes…He definitely pissed her off.


	3. Glass

AN: Here is chapter two! Hope you guys enjoy it! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

Chapter Three

"_Glass"_

Tim would cry if he could. If he wasn't so angry and numb. If he wasn't shaking so much with rage and misunderstanding. It was so cold in his heart and chest…Every beat stung with ice as his eyes narrowed on the computer screen. The bats in the cave screeched, but that was all faded into the back of his mind. Words jumbled together as he read the screen…

_Traces of Lazarus Poison._

He swallowed, hearing Jaime ask in a small voice, "So…What does that mean, Hermano?"

Tim shook his head quickly, beginning to press the keys of the keyboard rapidly. File after file opened, firewall after firewall fell. He could feel Bart and Jaime's eyes boring into the back of his neck as he did so. Soon Bart asked carefully, "Dude…What're you doing?"

"Opening the off limits files."

**ACCESS DENIED**

Tim glared at the screen before hissing, "Wanna bet?"

He began typing again and both Jaime and Bart glanced at each other worriedly. Tim had barely spoken five sentences since they had returned to the cave in order for Tim to find out exactly why he had been copying the moves taught to him by Ra's. He was beginning to worry them both with the stone cold look in his blue eyes.

Suddenly the computer rung throughout the cave…

**ACCESS GRANTED**

Tim didn't react, just continued typing until he froze in front of one file…Jason's off limits file. He had read files about Jason, but not this one. This file had the worst of the worst, but also the facts that Tim needed to test his theory.

He avoided the files he knew contained the graphic images of Jason's murder. He didn't want to see that. Even the thought of it made his stomach whirl with nausea. His answers would lie in the tenth file from the bottom, how he knew that well…Bruce had a strange way of ordering things. It was how he kept his secrets a secret. But, Tim had memorized his method long, long ago. And he was proud of that because it was something not even Dick had mastered yet.

It only took 6.4 seconds to locate the exact sentence he was looking for…

_Traces of Lazarus Poison._

"That's what's wrong with us…The impulsiveness, the temper…Everything," Tim muttered in disbelief.

Jaime and Bart remained in a confused silence as Tim turned slowly in the chair, breathing, "Bruce never told us about this…"

The two other teens glanced at each other as something flashed across Tim's face. So much rage and betrayal lit up that neither Jaime nor Bart knew what to think. The boy stood, beginning to pace back and forth, whispering temperamental nothings under his breath. Words of hate and curses. Frustration.

Jaime held out his hand and said calmly, "Look, Tim just calm down."

"Calm down!?" Tim shouted, turning to look at his friend. "How the hell am I supposed to calm down when no one is telling me anything!?"

And then Tim saw it. The look on Bart's face as he looked away. A look of sheer guilt and worry. He was trying so hard not to say anything, causing Tim's eyes to narrow as he stepped towards the younger. He asked in a firm voice, "What do you know, Bart?"

Bart looked over quickly, eyes wide as he answered impulsively, "Spoilers."

_Liar._

It was sudden…Tim lunging forward towards Bart in an attempt to tackle the smaller to the ground. Bart let out a startled yelp, moving out of the way quickly. Once he was on the other side of Tim he said, "Tim, stop!"

"No!" Tim screamed at the top of his lungs, "Tell me what you know! Last time this happened we got jumped in an alley! Talk!"

Tim reached over, grabbing the keyboard from the desk. Just as Bart made a break for the stairs, Tim threw the keyboard in front of the younger's shins, knocking him to the ground. Bart made a noise that could be related to a cat being stepped on. Tim didn't hesitate to jump on the other, trying to restrain him as he tried to fight the older off. Jaime shouted, "Guys! Stop!"

Tim hissed when Bart planted a punch in his stomach and squirmed away. He heard ringing in his ears and his blood pumped at 1,000 miles per hour. He pushed himself to his feet to pursue the other, only to feel two hands wrap around his upper arms and yank him back. He looked with a shocked expression, his eyes meeting Dick Grayson's.

The boy blinked hard, processing who all was now in the cave. Bart had taken a place hiding behind both Artemis and Wally while Barbara stood close to Dick. Tim struggled, but to no avail, he could not escape his brother's grasp. Jaime looked relieved to see the older heroes had intervened.

Dick's grip loosened as he asked in a low tone, "What the hell is going on?"

Tim took this as an opportunity to yank himself away. He stumbled a few steps before asking in a hoarse voice from screaming, "Why didn't you tell me the pits were in my blood?"

It almost sounded desperate…Lost even…It made Dick's heart pinch. For some reason he knew this was going to happen eventually. When Bruce told him to stay quiet about it…It seemed like the best thing to do at the time…But now…Now it was messing up everything they had worked so hard to repair.

Dick ran a hand through his dark hair and explained carefully, "Tim…Timmy it was…We felt like it was better not to tell you. We didn't want you to be paranoid about being crazy because you're not."

"What?" Tim whispered in disbelief. "You honestly don't think I'm crazy? Are blind!?"

Dick looked away and Tim raised his chin before growling, "Does Jason know? That it's in his blood too…"

"It doesn't matter," Dick snapped a bit offensively. Clearly that was a no. "It's just residue."

Tim looked at Dick as if he couldn't believe what had just been spoken, "Oh, and you don't think that's why whenever I get agitated I can't control myself? And the same for Jason? Dick, insanity is coursing through mine and Jason's veins at a hundred miles per hour every time our heart rates go up. It clouds our thinking processes, it literally drugs us."

Tim began to back away slowly when there was no reply from his brother. He then turned on his heels, moving as quickly as he could to the stairs. Dick called loudly, "Where're you going!?"

There was no answer…Nothing besides the echo of the clock closing shut.

* * *

Jade sat slouched in her seat, listening to the whirling of the helicopter as they approached Gotham in the distance. There was a knot in her stomach as she thought about the fight that was soon to come. She didn't want to do this. Allies were in small number and just the thought of taking out two well…That upset her to some degree. In the next few minutes Jason would be in their custody and Tim would follow. That…That made her angry.

Glancing over, Jade stared at the side of Damian's head as he piloted the machine. He had this…This look in his eyes that made her uncomfortable. It was cold and yet to some degree familiar. His clothes were completely black and for some reason she thought it suited him, though there was no explanation as to why she had that thought.

The lights of Gotham were beautiful from a distance, the night sky enveloping them. You would never guess that something this beauty would hold some of the world's worst criminals. It was a mask. It hid every dark secret that Gotham had to offer. Shielded to attract new victims.

Jade sighed deeply, looking over at the younger as they began to fly over the city, "How exactly do you guys expect to keep the batfamily out of your palace so that what happened last time doesn't happened again?"

Damian glanced at the older, rolling his eyes as if she had just asked the stupidest question in history. He answered in an annoyed tone, "My mother had an entirely new palace constructed. By the time you are able to report back to your friends, we will be gone."

Jade didn't reply to that and Damian hissed, "Anymore ignorant questions?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have another," Jade snapped. "How did no one find you? See you? Talia isn't exactly the motherly type…She must have really liked your daddy."

Damian smirked almost sinisterly at those words…

"Well yes, my father is the world's greatest detective after all."

Jade's eyes widened three sizes, her head snapping in his direction. She only managed to whisper, "Oh my God…"

"No, but I am fairly close," Damian said bluntly. "In any case, we are nearing our desired location. I suggest you prepare yourself. I attempted to convince Mother to assign me to Todd but…I was without luck. You will go in, retrieve him, and we will track where Timothy is located."

Damian hovered the helicopter over the building, accessing the heat signature screen between the two of them. Damian zoomed the screen in into two heat signatures that were located in the same room. Jade's eyes widened as she leaned forward, studying it. She muttered, "…That's the kid…Tim is there too…"

The younger looked a bit surprised at those words before a cruel smile formed on his lips and he stated, "Perfect…Two birds with one stone."

* * *

_**Five Minutes Before**_

Tim moved down the hall of the apartment building slowly. He didn't like how it smelled of nicotine and drugs. There was a haze over it and Tim wondered why Jason wouldn't just come live in the manor where Alfred kept everything so clean. Maybe this felt like home to Jason but to Tim it felt like…

Nothing…

Tim stopped in front of Jason's door, D7. He rocked back and forth on his toes a few moments, not sure if he wanted to knock. He was afraid to tell the truth…Afraid to tell Jason that they still had that green putrid liquid rushing through them. Tell him that's why they lost it so often whenever their heart rates sped up with anger or anxiety. Why they had such short tempers and outbursts.

That Bruce and Dick had hidden it from them.

Tim took in a deep breath before reaching out and knocking carefully. He could already hear speaking from inside and a bit of shuffling and the person made their way to the door. Tim wanted nothing more at that moment than to turn and run away because what if he was _bothering _the older? What if Jason didn't even live here anymore?

After all, Tim hadn't seen him in four months.

The fourteen year old jumped a bit when the door yanked open to show Jason's face. Tim could now see why talking had been heard because the elder had a phone pressed against his right ear. Tim just stared, not wanting to interrupt the conversation Jason was having. He looked shocked though to see Tim standing outside his door.

All Tim heard of the conversation was, "Come get it later, Roy. I don't wanna bring it all the way down there. I've gotta go...Tim is here..."

And with that he hung up.

Tim swallowed and Jason asked, "What're you doing here, kid?"

Tim shifted his weight from foot to foot before he answered, "I kinda…I have something really important to tell you…Can I come in?"

Jason tilted his head, but moved aside for the younger to enter. Tim did so quickly, hearing the door shut behind him and Jason move. Tim glanced around the apartment. It was in the same shape as it was the last time he saw it. Beer bottles and clothes thrown about. The smell of smoke lingering in the air with gunpowder and liquor.

Blinking, Tim turned around to look at Jason as both stood in the small kitchen. There was an awkward silence before Jason said, "Before you tell me what you need to, I need to ask you a question myself."

Tim gave a stiff nod and Jason continued, "What…What happened the other night? With that guy? I saw it on the news and I…" He trailed off, clearly not knowing how to word what he wanted to say.

There was no reply for a moment before it came out muttered and quiet, "I…That's kind of why I'm here actually…Jason I have to tell you something important, but I don't know how you're going to react to it, so just…Don't get mad, ok?"

Jason's face made a look of distrust before he leaned back against the kitchen counter and asked, "What is it?"

Tim opened his mouth to respond, but he never got the chance. The sound of glass shattering filled the room and both turned quickly, looking across the apartment into the living room that was only a few feet away. Tim stumbled back, his ears ringing and a rumbling sound following as Jason cursed loudly, stepping forward towards it. Tim's heart hammered against his ribcage as his thoughts raced with possibilities of what could be happening.

Nothing was answered, even when two figures jumped through the window, sliding down long lines. Both were dressed in dark clothing, but one face could be recognized immediately as they landed almost gracefully in the living room. Jason's eyes narrowed in confusion as he whispered, "Jade?"

It was nearly drowned out by the whirling, but she heard it. She shook her head slowly and stated simply, "Sorry, Jason."

Tim and Jason glanced at each other, but both figures lunged forward. Tim jumped back, having to dodge a kick to the face from the male. Tim tried to study him while he threw punches and kicks. He had tan skin and dark hair, but his face was slightly familiar to Tim. Like somewhere in the back of his mind he had seen this person…This _kid _before, but he just couldn't place a name. He could hear Jason arguing with Jade who refused to acknowledge she even knew Jason besides the earlier apology. Now she didn't speak, she just attacked.

Tim ducked, dodging a nerve strike. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jason take a kick to the knee, knocking his brother to the floor. Jade moved forward, sticking something into his neck causing him to fall over limp. Tim's eyes widened and he grunted, feeling a foot collide with his stomach.

The fourteen year old looked quickly at the older male before sending a punch into his mouth. Tim watched as he grunted and stepped back, spitting out blood onto the dirty carpet. He smirked almost evilly as he said, "Very well."

That was when Tim received three hard kicks to the chest, causing him to double over in pain. Something stung his neck like a bee and Tim only had enough time to process that the other had stuck a syringe in his neck…

His last and final thought as he fell over was…

"_Not good."_

* * *

Hope you guys liked it! Please review!


	4. Envy

AN: His guys! So I hope you enjoy this chapter and the insight we get into Damian's head this time. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

Chapter Four

"_Envy"_

The pleased gurgling sounds escaping Lian only made Roy smile as he made his way down the hall of Jason's apartment building. It seemed to take away every bit of stress and worry he had about Jade, just seeing Lian smile cured that. And that was undoubtedly one of the best feelings in the world. To see your child smiling and happy.

Roy sighed deeply and stopped in front of Jason's front door, knocking. He didn't know why he did so, mostly because Jason constantly entered his apartment without asking. Passing out on his floor drunk…

Shaking his head, Roy looked down at Lian in his arms and said, "Jason is so annoying."

She grinned at that and Roy smiled. He then leaned forward, grabbing the knob and pushing the door open. Before even entering fully he called, "Alright Jason, give me back my vacuum! You should really ask before you take my-"

Roy stopped short, standing in the doorway with a shocked expression. The scene before him looked like something out of a crime movie. The window was blown out and furniture was turned over. Roy blinked a few times before it processed…

"Jason!" Roy called, entering further and looking into the bedroom a moment before moving back. He entered the living room, holding Lian tighter in his arms. Roy blinked, remembering what Jason had said before hanging up the phone…

Tim had been here too.

"Oh God…" Roy whispered, shifting Lian to one arm and using the other to pull out his phone.

This didn't look good.

* * *

Dick couldn't do anything other than lean forward on the couch, placing his elbows on his knees as he stared at the plush carpet of one of the many living rooms in Wayne Manor. His shoulders shook in the slightest, showing the anxiety and guilt that poured off of him in gallons. He could feel his best friend's eyes on him as he sat beside him. They allowed silence to envelope them while speaking from the room was audible next door as the others ate what was left over from breakfast.

Wally stared silently at the back of Dick's head before muttering, "You should have told Tim."

Dick tensed and snapped almost venomously, "I _know_."

The dark haired male paused at that and glanced back at the speedster, whispering, "Sorry…I-I…I just couldn't do that to him…ok? That kid has been through so much in the past year and I couldn't tell him that and cause him more trouble."

Tilting his head, Wally asked, "Was the outcome of the lie any better, Dick?"

Dick froze, giving a simple shake of his head before sighing deeply. Wally nodded in response and opened his mouth as if to say something else, but he was interrupted by heavy feet entering the living room. Something about the footsteps gave off anger…Both of the young men knew it, casting a glance at each other until the form of Bruce Wayne entered.

There was this look that Dick recognized from when he was a kid. One memory that stood out in his mind was when a kid on the high school football team had been picking on him, so one day he used a bit of his Robin technology to get back at him…

The kid ended up pants less, while the pants in question were glued to his chair with some of the finest glue ever invented.

That look was in Bruce's eyes. The one that said_, "You're in so much trouble, we are about to have a serious discussion that you may not live through."_

Letting out a puff of air, Dick stood, glancing at Wally one last time as if to say his prayers. His feet then carried him from the room, following Bruce down the dark halls that were rarely lit towards his adoptive father's office. He knew he shouldn't be nervous because Bruce in no way _frightened _him. But, Dick supposed that sense of childish fear would always live within him. Hell, even Jason still had a bit that fear and Tim had yet to grow out of it.

The two entered Bruce's office, the door shutting behind them. Bruce wasted no time at all to turn around and say harshly, "You shouldn't have allowed Tim to leave the manor."

Dick looked a bit dumbfounded at that statement before he flew his hands in the air and asked, "What was I going to do? Sedate him? Tie him up? Bruce, the kid is fourteen years old, if he wants to get out he will. Trust me…I've tried keeping him under lock and key and it doesn't work."

"Tim isn't stable enough to be roaming around alone," Bruce informed.

"I know that!"

Dick jumped suddenly when his phone went off, the ringing interrupting his anger process. It may have been unprofessional, but Dick was looking for an escape route out of this conversation. Quickly he dug through his pocket and pulled out his phone, the name "ROY" showing on the screen.

He answered, "Hey, what's up?"

"_Dick…We have a problem."_

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose before asking_, _"Can it wait?"

"_Not exactly," _The red head replied. _"I'm at Jason's apartment and it looks like something…well to put it cleanly, __**bad**__, happened here."_

Dick opened his mouth, but Roy continued suddenly_, "And please don't say that Jason isn't your business because when I was on the phone with him earlier…He said Tim was here too. So you might wanna get your ass down here, and fast."_

Dick's eyes widened suddenly and he stated hurriedly, "Ok, ok, we're on our way."

There was only a dial tone in response and Dick turned, grabbing the doorknob. Bruce asked, "What is it?"

Dick swallowed thickly looking at his adoptive father before saying, "I'll…I'll explain on the way…We need to go, _now_."

Something within Bruce clearly seemed to click and he nodded back, following his son out the door.

There was desperation and Dick's tone…And Bruce didn't like that.

* * *

Both Damian and Jade exited the aircraft slowly, the cold air from the Bosnian night chilling them instantly as they set foot in the court yard. Before them stood ten assassins and in the center was Talia, here arms folded in front of her. She stared at them with a look of expectance that frustrated Jade quite a bit because she didn't _owe _this woman anything.

Once standing before the woman, Jade saw Damian bow silently. Under normal circumstances she might have followed in suit…But, not now. Right now she was pissed off. Being hired to do something is one thing, but being forced to do it is another. She was too stubborn for things like this. Too stubborn and too angry.

"I suppose the mission was a success then?" Talia asked, her eyes trained on her son. Jade thought maybe that was why he was so screwed up…Too much pressure to be something at such a young age. If so…She could relate.

"Yes, Mother," Damian responded. He gestured towards the aircraft and continued, "The targets are still unconscious on board."

Talia turned and looked at two of the men beside her, ordering, "Move them to the separate ship and prepare for take-off to location X."

Jade's eyebrows furrowed as the two men walked past her. Location X?

She blinked, looking back at Talia before asking, "So I gave you what you wanted…You're going to leave me and my family alone now, right?"

There was a slight tilt to the other woman's head as she sighed deeply and replied, "I am sorry Cheshire…But, I am afraid your job here is finished."

Jade was only confused a moment before Talia gave a simple nod towards Damian. In a swift motion, the sixteen year old pulled his sword from its sheath and made an attempt to stab the blade into the olders' abdomen. She gasped slightly, barely side stepping in time to knock the blade away with the guards on her wrists.

She hissed, "We had a deal."

Damian smirked cruelly and whispered, "How childish."

She glared at that, ducking as he swung the sword towards her throat. She was worried a moment that the others would attack because it would difficult for her to fight all of them off. But, none moved for some odd reason. Not even Talia. The only movement was from her and Damian, plus the two men moving Tim and Jason's bodies.

And it was that one kick…That one good kick she believed saved her life. That kick to the side of his neck that caused him to gasp in pain and fall to the ground. She jumped over him, worried that Talia would send her ninjas after her.

She breathed heavily as she ran towards the exit of the courtyard, ignoring that fact that she was running straight towards endless forest in freezing weather.

Talia sighed, staring at her son who was rubbing his neck, staring at the ground in defeat. She then turned her attention to the assassins to her right and ordered, "Go after her. She will not last long in this cold without shelter, but I want her dead. No loose ends."

The five nodded, following the woman into the darkness.

Talia looked back at her son who stood slowly. She waved her hand, saying, "Come, Damian."

Clearing his throat, Damian nodded, following his mother towards the second aircraft. He attempted to ignore the look of pure annoyance and disappointment on her face, which was something he had witness many times in his years on this earth.

He would never please her he supposed.

But, he would certainly try.

* * *

The apartment was enveloped in silence besides the unhappy whines from Lian. Artemis held her niece, bouncing up and down in some attempt to calm the younger. But, the infant continued to show how upset she was by grabbing a handful of Artemis' blonde hair and yanking it as hard as she could. Artemis gasped, pulling the younger away, saying, "Hey, that's not cool!"

Lian was silenced a moment, her bottom lip quivering at the sudden outburst from her aunt. Artemis' eyes widened before she rambled, "Ok, ok, fine…Just…Don't rip it out."

A smile returned to the baby's face and she grabbed the older's hair once more, causing her to wince. Wally smirked slightly before turning to look at the other occupants of the room which included Bruce, Dick, Barbara, and Roy.

Wally asked, catching their attention, "Why would Tim even be here with Jason anyway? I thought you guys made some kind of rule about that kind of thing."

"We did," Dick sighed, shuffling through the debris, searching for any evidence of what had happened. "My best guess is that when Tim stormed out of the cave earlier he came here to tell Jason about the Lazarus being in their blood."

Suddenly everyone's eyes landed on Bruce when he kneeled down beside a blotch on the carpet. It was nearly dried, but there were still signs of it being fresh. Bruce muttered almost to himself, "It's blood."

Roy grimaced, "It probably belongs to Tim or Jason."

"Maybe," Bruce stated, pulling out a batarang from his pocket and beginning to cut a square around the blood. "But, it could also belong to the attacker. If so, we will be able to locate his or her origins."

Dick shook his head quickly, beginning to pace almost frantically. Everyone in the room could see the panic on the nineteen year old's face. This clearly wasn't something he could handle, but they couldn't just come out and say that. He would get angry…Defensive. Just like he did the first time Tim went missing. He nearly lost his mind. Sedations. Restraints. They had to use pretty much every trick in the book to keep him contained during that time.

Finally, Barbara spoke up, ordering, "Dick, calm down."

"I am calm," Dick snapped, glaring icily at the red head.

_That's a lie and you know it._

There was a ripping sound that filled the room, causing everyone to look at Bruce as he ripped the remaining side of the carpet up. He returned the batarang to his pocket, standing to full height and moving towards the door.

Before he exited however, he stopped beside Dick and whispered, "You're not calm."

And then he was gone, as if he hadn't even been there in the first place.

Dick's eyes narrowed on the doorway where his adoptive father had exited. He mumbled fiercely, "I hate how he thinks he knows everything about everyone."

Artemis made a face, continuing to bounce Lian. She spoke almost sarcastically, "He kinda does though."

That earned her one of the infamous bat-glares.

* * *

Damian roamed silently around the private jet, listening to the whirling of the wind as they made their way to their newly built palace in their unknown location. He kept glancing into both rooms that the other teenagers were being held, almost making sure they were still unconscious, though he knew they would be. They had been given the strongest dose possible so that they would remain that way until they reached their desired location.

Damian couldn't help that ping of jealousy he got every time he saw Tim. Why had his grandfather chosen a _child _to be his heir? A ruined and broken child at that. Damian would have been able to lead the shadows with ease. He already held the authority that his mother did when commanding them.

It wasn't fair, honestly. He had trained since the age of three to become the heir and suddenly his grandfather changes his mind.

And worst of all is…

This child was considered _his _father's _son_.

Damian didn't even know his father and his father didn't know of his existence. But, this boy who wasn't even blood was considered a _favorite _son? No…That was completely unacceptable in Damian's opinion.

The only reason this boy wasn't dead yet was because he had so many people protecting him. He wouldn't be able to keep himself alive in some of the training exercises Damian had been put through.

And yet…here was the mighty heir of the al Ghul dynasty, right in front of him, sleeping.

Damian kneeled beside the bed, a small dagger in his hand. He ran the tip along Tim's jawline as the boy slept almost peacefully. No knowledge of the danger that was only a heartbeat away. Damian tilted his head as a small line of blood formed when the blade mistakenly cut skin.

So the boy _did _bleed…

Damian removed the dagger, leaning forward to whisper in the sleeping child's ear…

"You are _no _heir. And you are certainly _not _my father's child."

Damian leaned away, envious of how ignorant Tim was to the dangers that surrounded him. It was hard to believe those hands had even shed a drop of blood.

But, Damian knew better.

Pushing himself to full height, Damian towered above his so called "younger brother". He wanted to scream every time his mother called Tim that because this boy did not share his parentage. This boy was _nothing _but a fraud. And why his grandfather favored him…Damian would never know. Because he had worked _hard. _He had proven himself and yet that wasn't enough.

And now he was replaced.

Replaced by a little boy who cried whenever he was told to kill…

How _pathetic._

* * *

I hope everyone liked it! Please review! :)


	5. Panic

AN: Alright, I kind of procrastinated on this chapter, but managed to get it done. Hope you guys like it! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

Chapter Five

_"Panic"_

It was slow…Painful even if you would call it that. The first thing he was aware of was the pounding in his skull and the tightness of every muscle in his body. Each breath that expanded his chest burned with fire, as if someone was lighting a match in his ribs. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would just make it go away. He could fall back into slumber and sleep it all off.

That wasn't an option though…

Something within him was shouting danger and then he remembered…He remembered the glass shattering through Jason's apartment. The people who came in and one of them had been _Jade. _Had Jade honestly betrayed them? She had never walked the straight and narrow, but attacking her husband's best friend and little brother was a bit screwed up, even for her.

Tim wiggled his fingers, convincing his eyes to open. It felt like two bricks sat on his eyelids as he did so, and he was grateful to find the room quite dim. The last thing he needed was to be blinded by sunlight…

This wasn't much better though, even with the lack of sunlight, his head still thumped. His heart followed in suit as he realized there were eyes staring at him from the other side of the room. Without looking directly at the person, he sat up, his bones crying out in protest as his joints popped. Once in the sitting position he studied his surroundings…

It was a small room, more of a cell than anything else. The matt below his body sat on top of a pristine concrete floor…

And then the person…The person who had attacked him stood against the opposite wall just staring at him. There was almost a curious look on the older teen's face, because this had to be a teen though he was very, very tall. Tim swallowed thickly, getting ready to speak before his attacker asked in a gruff voice…

"Are you well?"

Tim looked completely baffled at that question. He scoffed loudly, forgetting himself a moment as he replied, "Am I well? Dude, you freaking drugged me."

The other raised an eyebrow in response to the sarcasm, saying, "The drugs were not enough to harm you permanently. I was speaking of physical injuries that may have not been detected." Tim could have sworn he muttered something about child idiocy at the end, but he couldn't be sure.

"I'm not hurt," Tim whispered, glancing around once more. He did continue with, "Where are we?"

There was no response and the look on the others face made Tim think that maybe he _couldn't _tell Tim. Suddenly, something hit Tim and he rambled, "Wait, where's Jason?"

The older straightened at that and Tim knew it was a question that could be answered. The taller stated unemotionally, "Todd is being held in a separate cell for precautionary purposes." Tim's eyes narrowed on him before he hissed…

"Who are you?"

There was a tilt of the dark haired teen's head as he answered, "I am your caretaker for your time here. My name is Damian."

"And where is here?"

There was a pause. A long one that made Tim's throat tighten because he wanted to scream for answers, even though he was getting many rather easily. There was a lost sigh from Damian as he stated, "An undisclosed location in the custody of Ra's al Ghul and his league."

It was instantaneous. The way his heart rate sped up and he nearly threw up. His shoulders began to shake and even Damian looked a bit taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor. Tim's cheeks paled and he almost whimpered, "N-no…No…The pits are _gone._ The League destroyed them…All of them."

Damian shook his head stiffly before replying, "That is not for me to explain."

Something snapped. Tim was standing in and instant, holding his chest as he heaved each breath. _"A panic attack…A panic attack…When was the last time you had one of these?"_

"_Just a few nights ago honestly."_

Tears pricked Tim eyes as he tried to pace because he just needed to _move. _

Two hands gripped his shoulders sternly, shoving him into a sitting position. His head was then forced between his knees, the hand on the back of his neck squeezing painfully tight. Damian ordered above him, "Calm down."

"I _can't_." Tim hissed and gasped, trying to grab oxygen from anywhere. His mind was fogging over and everything sounded like he was in a tin can. Echoes and waves and distance.

He watched as the older kneeled beside him and whispered, "No harm will come to you. You are safe here."

The voice was so gentle that it was obviously _fake. _Not even Dick's sounds like that whenever his is gentle and Dick is the gentlest person in the world. Tim scrambled away across the small room on his hands and knees, hissing, "No…No."

Damian's eyes seemed to narrow and Tim knew it was frustration because his "comforting" was just a lie. He growled, "Why the Great Lord wants a child such as you for an heir, I will never understand."

"_Neither will I."_

Instead of speaking verbally though, Tim just shook, curling into himself. Damian moved to the other wall, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. No words were spoken from either of them until Tim muttered shakily…

"I wanna see Jason."

Damian stared at him a few moments before replying, "You must behave to receive that reward."

"_Damn."_

* * *

Jason woke a bit less gracefully.

He grunted when he received a kick to his ribcage, causing him to startle into a sitting position. His eyes blinked, trying to clear his blurred vision and focus on the room around him. It was small…Cell like. Not good, and he knew that upon first glance.

He didn't even have to know Talia al Ghul was standing over him for it to be bad.

"Crap…"Jason hissed.

Talia crossed her hands over her chest, waiting patiently as the drugs left the younger's system. He rubbed his eyes, glancing at her every so often clearly trying to stop seeing three of her until the one in the middle decided to stay.

He groaned in finality, "Damn, it's you."

"Hello Jason," She replied, annoyance in her tone. "Pleasure to see you again."

"Not exactly," Jason said, rolling his shoulders. Talia stepped away as he stood, using the wall for balance when he glared icily at her. "What the hell am I doing here and why did Jade attack me?"

Talia raised her chin as if her words were the mightiest ever to be spoken, "You are to play an important role in resurrecting the Great Ra's al Ghul. You should feel honored."

Jason scoffed, "Yeah, I'm so honored to have people burst through my window and attack me and-" Jason cut himself off suddenly, his shoulders stiffening as his eyes narrowed on the Demon's Daughter.

"Where is he?" He demanded.

Talia smirked, "He is safe with his brother."

Confusion plastered itself onto Jason's face to the point it looked as if it was going to melt. His eyebrows pulled into a furrow and he asked quietly, "Dick is here too?"

The smirk didn't falter, if anything is grew larger as she shook her head back and forth. Jason's face suddenly contorted into one of horror as he muttered in shock, "No…No you're freaking kidding me right?"

She knew he would catch one quickly. He was the Detective's son after all. She stated simply, "Damian al Ghul, the male who assisted in your capture, is my son. He is also Bruce's."

Jason's mouth was left agape as he stared at the woman. This didn't make sense…He spent months with the al Ghuls after his resurrection. Never…Never did the boy make an appearance. Not once. It seemed…Impossible.

And yet he believed it with every fiber of his being.

The only words he could seem to find were…

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Talia didn't answer the question directly and instead replied, "It will provide Timothy with comfort to have his brother teaching him our ways instead of my father."

Jason snapped, "Why didn't you just use Damian as an heir?"

She answered just as swiftly, "My father did not choose Damian and I do not question it. Damian has spent the last eleven years of his life traveling and learning from various masters. I've recently just seen him for the first time in those years since he was sent away when he was five. Which also explains why my beloved has never located him."

"And what makes you think Tim is going to accept Damian as his brother?"

Talia shrugged, relaxed, "Timothy is quite unstable if I understand correctly. He will be looking for anyone who treats him the least bit of kindness, anyone who gives him care. Children latch onto such as that. Just as Timothy latched onto you after you retrieved him from us."

Jason glared harshly and murmured, "How do you even plan to resurrect Ra's with all the pits destroyed?"

"There is another method," She explained, moving about the small room. "The Lazarus pits runs through your blood, along with Timothy's. I have discovered a ritual that can be performed on the Winter Solstice to revive my father from his sleep."

Jason was silent, allowing it all to set in. When he had put that bullet through Ra's he had been dumb enough to think that had stopped it. But, death can't stop everyone, himself included.

"Any more questions?" Talia asked.

"Just one," Jason whispered. "How did you get Jade to attack us?"

"Ah," Talia mused. "I nearly forgot about her. It was just a simple matter of leverage. I threatened her family and she conformed to my will. But, don't worry…She's taken care of."

Jason's eyes widened as Talia turned and exited. He surged forward, slamming against the door as she shut it quickly, bolting it shut. She tsked quietly, "Temper, Jason."

"Bitch," Jason growled through the small bars of the metal door.

Talia raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond. Instead she turned and walked down the hall, leaving Jason to repeatedly pound his fist against the door.

* * *

"You think you know everything about everyone."

Dick stood behind Bruce, in the shadow of the bat as always. He had thought when he became Nightwing that shadow would go away and he would be able to step out from behind him. But, that didn't happen and he wondered if it ever would. So the sentence was more frustration than anything. He could feel Barbara's hand on his shoulder, as if to calm him down.

There was only a gruff reply as Bruce continued to type, "I know far from everything."

"You don't know everything about me," Dick hissed, almost as if he hadn't heard Bruce's statement on the subject. What had brought this sudden frustration on…Well, he didn't know. Maybe it was the stress of knowing Tim was gone…No not gone, he couldn't say gone.

Missing maybe.

"I wasn't attempting to."

Dick's eyes narrowed and he shouted, "Stop!"

A loading screen began and Bruce turned a bit asking, "What do you want, Dick?"

Barbara sighed at that. Given, Dick was being a bit unreasonable and it was hard to understand exactly what he wanted Bruce to admit or say. But, Bruce's bluntness has always contributed to the situation. Dick wanted something…Anything to show that Bruce was honestly hearing him and knew what he was feeling.

Suddenly, the computer beeped loudly, showing the DNA scan from the blood found in Jason's apartment was complete. There was a moment of silent as the screen lit up with the results…

And to their surprised…The blood belonged to neither Jason nor Tim.

In fact it belonged to no one they knew.

The screen read:

**Most Comparable Matches: Bruce Wayne – Talia al Ghul **

It was smothering. The quiet that followed. A knot formed in Bruce's throat as a sense of shock filled him. This wasn't…It wasn't…

"Is that possible?" Dick asked in a whisper, breaking the impending silence.

"I don't know."

Dick's eyes narrowed and he growled, "How do you _not know_?"

Bruce didn't respond and anger flared within the teen once again. Barbara attempted to grab his arm, but he stepped forward before she could do so as he shouted "Damn it, Bruce! Answer me!"

Again, no answer. Instead, the Dark Knight began to type away at his computer once more. Dick's shoulders shook, ignoring Barbara as she murmured, "Dick, stop. Don't freak out…Not right now."

He didn't listen.

Instead, Dick stormed forward, shoving the keyboard from Bruce's desk. Bruce made no emotional expression as he was hauled from his chair by the front of his suit. His face was completely blank as Dick gripped his collar and shouted, "Bruce, whoever this person is took my little brother! He's with someone who helped kill him! If she has her hands on him right now, who the hell knows what she did to him!"

In one swift motion, Bruce had Dick's hands off of his shirt and had Dick pinned against the side of the desk, glaring darkly into his oldest son's eyes. Barbara made no movement to intervene; she knew there wasn't a point to. There was never a point to try and break up and argument between the two of them.

Dick struggled a moment before Bruce stated calmly, "Dick, please, you cannot do what you did last time Tim went missing. That cannot be repeated, do you understand?"

He shoved the older away, stepping to the side just to get away from his adoptive father. He breathed heavily, but nodded, understanding almost immediately. All he managed to mutter in response was…

"Alright…Alright…Just…Find him. Please. I can't do this again. I can't."

* * *

Artemis groaned as her hair was suddenly pulled for the tenth time that day. She glared down at the baby in her lap as she sat on the wood floor of Roy Harper's living room. She asked, grimacing, "What is it with you and hair pulling?"

Lian laughed, clapping her hands together excitedly. Artemis poked out her lips and whispered, "You definitely are Jade's."

The blonde listened as Wally and Roy spoke in the kitchen nearby. Roy sighed deeply as he explained, "I'm just worried about Jade…She hasn't contacted me in weeks and I'm starting to freak out a little. And now with this Jason and Tim stuff it's just gonna get worse."

Wally let out a puff of air and asked, "When was the last time you spoke to her?"

Roy shook his head and shrugged, "The day she left for the assignment. She usually contacts me a few days in, maybe a week. But, never this long."

A ringing suddenly overtook the room and the occupants looked at Roy as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He answered swiftly, not even checking the ID number, "Yeah?"

"_Roy, it's Jade."_

"Oh thank God," Roy whispered, running a hand through his hair. "Where are you?"

There was crackling at the other end, as if the reception was breaking up. A voice faded in and out, and heavy breathing followed. Finally Jade's static voice returned, rambling quickly through the cut off sentence, _"Running from…Talia's ninjas…Jason and Tim…Ra's Palace."_

"What?! Jade!"

A dial tone followed.

Roy stared at the phone with wide eyes before hanging up himself. He looked at the other two heroes and stated, "We need to go. Now."

* * *

Bart stared silently at the shelf of the mountain. The large shelf with all of the souvenirs from over the years the team had existed. Most of the souvenirs were Wally and Garfield's, but still…There were a few from everyone he supposed.

Bart didn't even notice the footsteps that walked in behind him…

"Alright, spill it," A voice ordered, causing Bart to whirl around quickly. Behind him stood Jaime, the older's arms crossed over his chest with his eyes narrowed on the time traveler.

Bart raised an eyebrow, "Spill what?"

"You know what I'm talking about," Jaime sighed, annoyance hinting at his tone. "The attack with Tim and…The other guy…What happened exactly?"

There was a long pause, and Jaime could honestly see Bart pondering on whether or not he wanted to tell Jaime what he knew. Because honestly, he hadn't even told Tim…So how was it fair that he told Jaime?

Finally, the younger's voice whispered quietly, "I honestly don't know…"

Another pause followed before he continued…

"But, it's going to be bad. I can feel it."

* * *

Hope you guys liked it! Please review!


	6. Dark

AN: Chapter six! Hope you guys like it and please excuse grammar errors. For some reason I feel like I didn't proof read it very well. And sorry about not posting Sunday or yesterday. Yesterday was my sixteenth birthday so I was busy with that nonsense. Oh well, I got my driver's license so yay! Wish me luck on the roads haha. Enjoy this chapter! :)

Chapter Six

"_Dark"_

Tim was startled awake, a small gasp escaping his lip as he was yanked into a sitting position by two hands wrapping around his upper arms. He nearly fell over as he was then pulled to his feet by the hand lifting him under his arms. Tim stumbled, blinking hard as his eyes finally focused on who was waking him.

Damian.

Tim watched with a confused stare as Damian quickly wrapped a cloak around Tim, following by pulling the hood up over the child's head. Tim croaked in a hoarse voice, "Wha…" He trailed off, his train of thought being stopped as he was yanked towards the exit of his cell.

Damian's reply was gruff, "It is cold outside."

"_I wasn't asking about the cloak," _Tim thought, frustrated. _"Why are you waking me up so early?"_

The grip on his wrist was almost bruising as he was dragged out into the courtyard. They walked in silence, Tim glancing around at the people who seemed to be cleaning the area of dirt and debris. Tim whispered, "What're they doing?"

"They are still cleaning after the building process," Damian answered, annoyance in his tone. "Now hush, Timothy."

Tim understood, but he didn't like being ordered to hush. He didn't argue though, it just wasn't worth it in all sense. He had to choose his battles with Damian and choose them wisely; he already knew that just from the few hours they had spent together. This was a stubborn teenager, that was for sure. Almost as stubborn as Jason. Maybe even more.

Tim was led into another building connected to the palace. They made their way down a long hall, the floors a pristine marble and the walls covered with lavish decoratives. He could tell it was a new building for sure. It didn't have the old feel that the other palace in Bosnia had.

Damian stopped in front of a large wooden door, yanking Tim back who hadn't realized they were stopping. Damian wrapped his hand around the doorknob and pushed it open; dragging Tim into what he could tell was a bathroom. There was a giant tub in the center of the room, almost as large as a small swimming pool. Tim swallowed thickly, seeing at least five women standing about the room dressed in maid clothing.

Damian shoved Tim forward and ordered, "Cleanse him. I will be back in an hour to retrieve him."

Damian was looking at one woman in particular who Tim guessed to be the head maid. She curtsied, followed by the other women in suit. She then stepped forward, grabbing Tim's arm and pulling him towards the tub. Tim glanced back at Damian who simply turned and left the room, shutting the door behind himself.

Great.

Tim felt his cheeks flush when the woman began to remove his clothes. It was an uncomfortable process to have five women staring at him and drawing his bath for him. He was thankful when the water finally filled to the brim of the giant bath and it was covered with bubbles. At least he could hide.

He climbed in, nearly slipping as he did so. The water was warm…It would be nice if not for the women in the room with him. He sat quietly, trying to sink further and further into the bath water.

The head woman stated in a thick accent, "Do not be so modest, Heir Timothy. We cleanse Lady al Ghul, Lord Damian, and Lord Ra's al Ghul. We even cleansed Sir Jason earlier today."

Tim blinked as she began to wash his hair with a sweet smelling shampoo. He hugged his knees to his chest and kept his eyes closed as not to get soap into them and it also made him feel like he was alone in the room and not so self-conscious. This could be a form of torture for some people.

Soon enough, it was over though. He was scrubbed clean and extracted from the tub. They dressed him in clothes he recognized all too well…They were the ones he had worn last time he was in the custody of Ra's al Ghul. They were almost identical to Damon's as well. The dark cloak, shirt, and pants. He wanted to claw them away, and maybe if the pits were a bit stronger in him he would out of insanity.

When Tim was given a toothbrush, he was thankful. At least they would let him brush his own teeth. He would have to draw the line there if they had attempted to do that for him. He moved to the sink, using what he supposed was toothpaste since that's what they had given him. When he put the brush in his mouth, the cool of mint hit him, so it must have been.

Just as he finished, Damian reentered the bathroom. Tim turned, wanting to get out of this room as soon as possible. And with a last bow from the women, Damian pulled Tim from the room and the boy couldn't have been more grateful, even to someone he despised at the moment.

As they made their way back down the hall, Tim asked, "Where're we going now?"

"To breakfast," Damian said simply. "We will be eating with my mother."

Tim froze, ice filling his stomach. Damian looked back at the child before raising an eyebrow. The older reached out, yanking Tim forward, forcing him to walk…

He wanted to ask who Damian's mother was but he didn't…

He'd rather not know.

* * *

The six occupants of the cave moved mechanically, none speaking to each other in the process. It was just a chain reaction of people getting together weapons and any other necessity they would need. They wouldn't have time on the Bat-Wing considering it traveled so quickly. They would be at their desired location in a matter of minutes.

Dick glanced up from where he was filling his belt with smoke bombs. Roy had come in earlier, shouting about the call he had received from Jade about Tim and Jason and then Ra's palace. He couldn't be very specific and Dick knew it was because Roy didn't even know very much about the situation. They were all grasping at straws, trying to put it all together.

Like a puzzle.

Batman was away from everyone, assessing what items he would need while Wally just ate a bag of chips. He didn't necessarily need anything to be honest, he had his weapon built in. And Dick also thought the chips were probably his way of preparing. Artemis and Barbara assisted each other in gathering which weapons they thought they would need and this was their team.

Dick was honestly surprised Bruce was letting them help. He was very strict when it came to outsiders dealing with family affairs. But, it troubled Dick…Because it meant that Bruce thought this was so bad they needed backup.

Dick's hands shook and he didn't know why. They had been doing that ever since Tim went missing and he constantly felt like throwing up. To take his mind off of it he decided to speak to the other young adults, saying, "The younger team members are mad that they're not involved."

"How do you know?" Wally asked, mouth filled to the brim with chips.

Dick shrugged, zipping his pouch shut, "Just an assumption. Bart and Jaime were here the day Tim went missing…They're gonna feel the need to get involved like Bart did last time."

Wally smirked, "We would do the same."

A small smile formed on his lips at that until the sound of stomping footsteps entered the cave. The young heroes and Batman all whirled around to see Doctor Leslie stalking towards them. Dick saw Batman mechanically straighten as she stopped in front of him, a look of pure rage on her face.

"What is wrong with you?" Leslie snapped, catching everyone's attention. Dick and Barbara were the only ones not wearing a look of amazement as the grey haired woman continued, "I told you to watch that boy!"

Bruce didn't respond and simply stared down at the woman, his jaw set. Dick wanted to laugh at the sight of Bruce taking a scolding.

Leslie let out an irritated groan when there wasn't an answer and instead she pointed her finger in his face and ordered, "I'm going to tell you this once. You get both of those boys back, do you understand me?"

The cave was silent, and for a moment everyone thought he wouldn't reply until he stated calmly, "Yes, Leslie."

Artemis' jaw dropped and she looked at Barbara quickly. A chuckling sound escaped Roy and Dick actually smiled, which helped with his current overwhelming emotions. Wally choked quietly on one of his chips.

Artemis asked the red headed girl beside her, "Who is that?"

"That's Leslie," Barbara sighed, smirking. "She and Alfred are pretty much the only people who can tell Batman what to do."

_And that was fact._

* * *

Neither Bart nor Jaime were sure how long they had been hiding in the far corner of the Batcave, cramped between two large boulders. But, by the time the Bat-Wing flew off with the occupants of the room, they could have sworn their bodies were about to crack in half.

Bart stood first, rolling his neck as Jaime stood a bit slower. He hissed at the speedster, "Next time, I choose the hiding place."

"Really?" Bart asked, excitement on his face. "You'd help me sneak into the cave again?"

Jaime paused before shaking his head, "No, this is the only stupid plan card I'm using. So hurry up before someone catches us."

Bart rolled his eyes before making his way across the cave, hearing Jaime's footsteps follow him. Once he was halfway he sped to the computer, standing in front of it with a grin on his face. He looked at Jaime and said, "You're about to witness some real spy action."

Jaime raised an eyebrow as Bart pulled a flash drive from his pocket, sticking it into the computer. Jaime's eyes widened as a green a black screen appeared. Each firewall used to protect every secret Batman had, fell. Jaime's jaw dropped and he growled, "What're you doing?!"

Bart laughed, "I'm doing what we came here to do." Gesturing towards the screen he continued, "I heard Wally talking about some blood Batman found at the apartment. He tested it and got some kind of result, but he never would say what the result was. I wanna see what it is!"

"You're nuts!" Jaime hissed. "Batman and Nightwing are going to kill us!"

Bart waved him off, looking back at the screen, "Nah, they don't do that."

"They'd make an exception for you," Jaime muttered under his breath. Suddenly, the screen lit up with the words that stated…

**ACCESS GRANTED**

"Yes!" Bart cheered, jumping into the air. He patted the computer and stated, "These old dinosaurs are no match for a time-traveler like me."

"Oh my God," Jaime grunted, running a hand through his hair as he began to pace. Maybe if he didn't watch Bart access the files, he could say he didn't see anything that happened.

He could hear Bart clicking away at the computer as he dug through file after file. There was an overbearing silence of anxiety that filled the room while this occurred. Maybe Bart wasn't scared, but Jaime sure as hell was. Batman is one of the most intimidating heroes in his opinion.

Suddenly, Bart's voice broke through his thoughts, whispering, "Oh no…"

Jaime turned around, not able to fight the curiosity as he asked, "What? What did you find?"

Bart just shook his head, moving away from the computer. Jaime stepped up himself, squinting his eyes at the screen that read…

**Bruce Wayne – Talia al Ghul**

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Before Jaime could ask however, an English accent rang out through the cave, causing both boys to turn. It asked, "And may I ask what you two boys are doing down here?"

Bart glanced at Jaime before smiling shyly, "H-Hey Agent A…"

Alfred simply raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest in a disapproving manner…

"_Crap."_

* * *

Jason glared as Talia approached his cell. He could see her through the small window in the door as she approached, holding a tray of food with what he assumed to be his breakfast. She stopped before him, giving him a smirk that made him want to smack it off her face. It was silent until she slid the small opening aside, allowing the tray of food to slip inside to Jason.

"Good morning, Jason," She greeted as Jason carefully took the tray, looking at her with distrustful eyes. "I assume you slept well."

Jason scoffed, "Yeah, like a baby."

Talia rolled her eyes at his sarcasm and stood to leave. Before she left however, she turned and said, "Enjoy your breakfast, Jason. I will be eating my meal with Timothy and Damian this morning."

Jason's eyes narrowed and he knew she was only telling him this information to make him angry and to push his buttons. He set down the tray and approached the door slowly, hissing, "And why may I ask, was I not invited to this little gathering?"

Something glinted behind Talia's eyes as she chuckled, "Jealous?"

"Of missing out on a meal with you?" Jason laughed, annoyance seeping through. Sarcasm then laced his voice as he continued, "Yeah, as you can see the jealousy is pouring off of me by the gallon."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she answered, "Well, as for your question as to why you were not invited, the answer is quite simple. Timothy must learn his place and he cannot do that with you whispering in his ear. He will learn nothing."

Jason's eyes narrowed and he growled, "So what? You're just going to brainwash him into thinking that demon spawn is his wonderful big brother and that you're his loving mother?"

Talia glared in the same way Jason was before turning to leave. He almost thought she wasn't going to answer before she paused halfway down the hall and turned, muttering, "If I must."

But, Jason heard it…And his heart clenched.

This would be a very bad situation within the next few weeks…He could feel it.

* * *

Tim's heart was in his throat as he sat at the large table. He couldn't help but shake terribly with anxiety as his eyes darted around the nicely decorated dining hall. He wanted to tear it all apart, destroy everything that had to do with Ra's and his people. He wanted it all gone because of the helplessness it made him feel. The fear that would envelope him every time he was exposed to things like this.

He felt Damian's eyes on him as he sat beside him. Tim hadn't even realized he was chewing on his fingernails until they were yanked from his mouth. He wanted to scream because even the smallest comfort was now being taken away.

Damian gripped Tim's wrist and the boy attempted to yank it away. He hissed, "Stop biting them. It is a silly habit."

The grip tightened before it finally released forcefully. Tim had to fight the urge to continue chewing on them, but Damian's eyes wouldn't leave. His shoulders shook before Damian continued, "And stop shaking. You look like an idiot."

Tim tried to stop; he honestly did because arguing just seemed so tedious right now. But, he found he couldn't after a few times of trying to still his trembling shoulders. Finally he whispered, "I…I can't."

He gasped suddenly, letting out a sound of pain when Damian pressed his hand to the back of Tim's neck. Tim knew it was a pressure point that caused the receiver to experience discomfort in order to gain control in a fight. Tim attempted to lean forward, and eventually he was released from the hold. It only took a moment to realize he had willed himself to stop shaking in order to avoid another punishment.

Tim looked at Damian with wide eyes who said in the simplest voice Tim had ever heard…

"See what pain can teach?"

Tim jumped suddenly at the sound of a door opening on the other side of the room. His eyes darted towards it, knowing it must be Damian's mother arriving. Fear built up in his chest as he waited for her to appear, only to feel his heart clench when he saw who had arrived to their breakfast.

Talia al Ghul.

"_No. No. No."_

Damian stood immediately, giving a gracious bow as he greeted, "Good morning, Mother."

Tim felt his breath catch in his throat when Damian suddenly looked at him before reaching over to drag him to his feet. The hand returned to his neck and forced him to bow in front of the woman. He was then yanked back to full height and shoved into his seat once more, as if it had never even happened.

The shaking returned, much to Tim's displeasure as the woman came and sat in front of him at the table. Tim watched with confused eyes as the breakfast was immediately brought before them by a group of servants. He could feel Damian glancing at him every once in a while, warning him not to mess up or there would be consequences.

Talia took the napkin from the table and placed it in her lap, picking up her utensil to begin to eat after saying something in Arabic that Tim didn't understand, but Damian said the same thing as he began to eat. Tim took a few bites before he stopped, unable to keep the curiosity at bay any longer. After a few moments of silence, Tim couldn't stop the question from escaping him…

"Talia…Is your mom?"

Damian gave Tim a look of rage and Talia held up her hand before stating, "It is alright, Damian. Let the boy ask his questions. And answer them respectfully."

Damian swallowed thickly before his eyes moved to the fourteen year old and he growled through his teeth, "Yes."

"Who's…" Tim trailed off, feeling Damian's eyes narrow on him.

A smile formed on Talia's lips as she asked, "Who's his father?"

Tim gave a slow nod. Talia cleared her throat before explaining, "Timothy, sixteen years ago Damian's father and I met one of many times. I conceived him, but Damian's father was never aware of the act he and I had committed."

Confusion was evident on Tim's face and Talia sighed, annoyance clear in the sound of her voice as she continued, "Damian's father is my beloved, Bruce. He is your brother."

Tim sat silent a few seconds, wondering if he had heard that statement correctly. But, he couldn't have…Bruce didn't have any biological children, especially not with Talia. Every logical part of him was saying not to believe it, but something else…Instincts maybe…Was telling him it was true. He glanced at Damian, studying closely before his eyes widened in realization…

"_His eyes…They're Bruce's."_

Tim attempted to stand to leave in a rush, his breaths coming out in gasps as he felt another panic attack begin to set in. Damian however, grabbed his shoulder, shoving his back down into the seat forcefully, hissing, "Sit _down_. You must eat."

Tim gasped through his labored breathing, "I…I ate…A few bites…" He couldn't process what he was being told and why he was here exactly…Why…Why was he here?

He hadn't realized he had spoken it aloud until he was forced to clamp a hand over his mouth. A part of him was literally tearing apart to know, but another part was screaming for him not to ask because the answer would be so much worse.

Talia sighed, leaning back as she and Damian watched Tim's impending panic attack. But, she explained anyway, ignoring the fact that the boy clearly hadn't intended to ask…

"Timothy, on the winter solstice we will perform a ritual. The Lazarus within your blood and Jason's will be used to resurrect my father, Ra's al Ghul."

Tim's stomach twisted and he choked…

All he did in response was vomit up his breakfast onto the expensive rug below the table.

* * *

They had arrived just in time to find Jade being overrun by ninjas.

They could all see the exhaustion in her as they landed the Bat-Wing in the middle of the forest, ignoring the trees they crushed in the process. Roy was the first to file out of the flying vehicle, sprinting towards the large group of assassins that were attacking her. Arrows flew from his bow immediately, followed by Artemis' bow and the Batfamily's batarangs.

Wally ran around the circle, knocking as many down as possible, but many were able to jump back up and continued fighting. They all knew Talia's ninjas were trained for one thing: following orders. They held no respect for their own lives and that was a bit sad in a way.

The fight was quick and almost uneventful until each and every one of the assassins were knocked unconscious and left on the forest floor. Roy lowered his bow when the last one fell at Jade's feet. He studied her, taking in how tired she looked and the flush across her face. She probably had a fever from being out here so long in the freezing weather.

She smirked a bit, before croaking, "Took you guys long enough."

Roy moved forward quickly before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed. He caught her just before she could join the ninjas on the ground. Before completely losing consciousness she whispered, "They…Took Jason and the kid somewhere…An unknown location. Location X."

Roy simply shushed her, allowing her to slip into unconsciousness.

At least now she was safe…

And they had a witness.

* * *

Hope you guys liked it! Please review! :)


	7. Fleeting Existence

Chapter Seven

"_Fleeting Existence"_

"_Move. Move. Just move and think. Think."_

Tim paced anxiously, his eyes darting around his tiny little cell. He was alone, which seemed to be rare here. All he could hear was his heart rate speeding up and slowing down as he attempted to control its pounding. His brain moved at a hundred miles per hour, assessing and searching. Almost like a mouse in a trap. The smallest escape route could be the key to his survival.

He paused, looking at the small window. He had already studied it long ago, and even tried to remove the bars and glass from in front of it. But, even if he had been able to, he doubted he would have been able to squeeze through the small opening. He could mark that off as a means of escape.

Turning on his heels, Tim moved towards the door, running his hand over it. The metal was cold and it sent a shiver up and down his spine. Grabbing the knob he turned it, knowing it would be locked. Slowly, he kneeled down in front of it, attempting to stick his finger through the slender lock hole that was on both sides of the door. He often saw Damian use it whenever he would lock both of them in here at night.

It was too small and frustration soon smothered him, causing him to stand and kick the door forcefully. There was a loud rattle, but otherwise, nothing else. Tim whirled around, letting out a frustrated sound while grabbing onto both sides of his head. His eyes scanned the room once again…

"_Think. Focus."_

The sleeping mat wouldn't be any good, and neither would the plants in the corner of the room…

Suddenly, something sparked with him, his eyes landing on the vase holding the large plant. Almost as if he had been caught on fire, Tim surged forward towards it. Without hesitation, he grabbed a hold of it, tipping it over. With a few smacks against the floor, the vase shattered into small and large pieces onto the clean concrete, spilling out potting soil.

"Oh thank you," Tim whispered, almost disbelieving how simple that was. Quickly he dug through the shards, finding one that was thin and long. He scurried back over to the door, peaking into the keyhole before pushing the glass through. His hands shook as he worked on it, trying to flip the lock to allow him to escape.

Tim froze, feeling something heavy…

"_Yes."_

In one swift motion, Tim tilted the shard up, hearing the familiar click of the door unlocking. A hiss of pain escaped his lips however when the glass dug into his hand, slicing it open like a blade. He dropped it immediately, ignoring the sting as he stood and yanked the door open a bit more quickly than he should have.

Carefully, Tim moved his head out into the hall, looking both ways for any signs of life….

Nothing.

"_Find Jason," _The voice in the back of his head ordered. _"Find him and run."_

Tim felt the warmth of the wound on his hand, the blood tickling his fingers as it slid down onto the floor. But, he ignored it nevertheless.

"_Go."_

* * *

"I do not understand why I am not the heir!"

His voice traveled throughout the large study within the palace. Damian breathed heavily, frustration from the argument clear in his features. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, glaring daggers at his mother as he continued, "I am his blood relation."

Talia's eyes burned with fury from where she sat at the desk across the room. He stood stiffly, nearly shattering under the stare from his mother as the voice in the back of his mind attempted to make him obey. Neal. Beg for forgiveness. But, he didn't. Anger overshadowed that need. That…Training.

Finally, the woman's voice came out as cold as steel, hissing, "He did not choose you."

And that hurt. That hurt more than Damian was willing to admit that even his mother seemed to agree that he wasn't a suitable heir. When all he ever did was try to prove himself to her. Tried to make her see him. Actually see him as her child. As her son. But, she never did. It was almost like he wasn't really there half the time, unless he did something wrong. As soon as he did something wrong, he was suddenly the center of the universe.

Damian ran a hand through his hair, his face burning with rage. Talia continued, her voice slowly moving back to normal volume…

"You have a mission to carry out, Damian," Talia stated, standing from the chair and leaning against the desk in front of her. "Make the boy trust you. Make him seek you for comfort. Then he will see you as family."

Damian's voice seethed harshly, "It is difficult to do."

Talia's eyes narrowed before finally she shut them in finality. She pointed to the door where she knew it stood and ordered, "Go Damian. I am losing my patience."

He didn't need to be told twice. Silently, Damian turned on his heels and exited the study without another word to his mother. Not even a bow of respect. He was a teenager after all, at some point in every teenager's life they experience the need to rebel and be angry. Maybe this was Damian's turn.

Damian rounded the corners of the hall quickly, his hands in tight fists. He wanted to hit the wall, but he knew that was childish and such idiocy was not permitted. After turning five corners, Damian came to a halt in front of his desired location.

Timothy's cell…

He stared a moment, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked into the room, finding the door standing wide open. There were shards of glass littering the floor from the vase that had been in the room. He stepped forward, heart rate quickening rapidly.

"_Oh…Mother will not be pleased."_

Then, he saw it. The little red splotch out of the corner of his eye. He looked down quickly, bending slowly towards the floor, studying. It only took a few moments to take in the fact that it was blood lying beside a large shard of glass. Damian assumed it was the tool used to escape the room.

Several more dots littered the floor and made a trail down the hall. A smirk grew across Damian's face and he whispered…

"Not quite good enough, Little Heir."

* * *

He wondered if drowning would be easier than this. Avoiding this anxiety…This fear in the pit of his stomach. His heart hammered against his ribcage and he wanted to puke. He squeezed his fists shut, feeling the tug of the cut on his hand. The warmth of blood filled his palm and he almost felt nauseous.

There was an empty sound echoing down the hall as Tim walked further and further. He was constantly glancing behind himself, half expecting to see someone there waiting for him. But, he never did. So he continued searching each room he passed, glancing through the windows, the cracks, everything. Where ever they had hidden Jason they had done it well…

Or maybe not so well.

Tim came to a halt in front of the thickest door he had yet to see. There was the sound of tapping, a rhythm, though Tim didn't know the song. It was vague and fading behind the heavy door. Tim squeezed his hands tighter, approaching where the small set of bars in the door were, a small hole looking into the room apparent.

His breath escaped him…

Jason.

Tim grabbed the bars with both hands, blood smearing it. He called frantically, "Jason!"

It was more of a hiss than anything, but the man sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the room looked up quickly, his eyes wide. He knew that voice…He knew it well. The older scrambled to his feet, dropping the rock he had been using to tap the floor. Rushing to the door, Jason grabbed the bars also.

"God, kid," Jason almost laughed, but he didn't. "Took you long enough."

If not for the smirk on Jason's face, Tim would have thought he was serious. A fake glare formed in his eyes as he muttered, "At least I managed to get out."

"Shut up," Jason actually did laugh this time before his features returned to seriousness. He continued hurriedly, "Do you have the key?"

Tim froze, his jaw dropping a bit. He knew it couldn't have been this easy. He should have known it wouldn't be. He didn't have that kind of luck. No one in their entire family had that kind of luck. They just had the worst of the worst.

Or maybe…The best of the best considering the danger they had survived in their lives.

When Tim didn't reply, Jason's shoulders tensed and he shut his eyes, as if calming himself. He couldn't start screaming at the fourteen year old for not thinking this through because honestly, he wouldn't have thought it through very well either. But, that's what got him killed and they couldn't afford stupid mistakes like that.

Finally, Jason responded, ordering, "Look around, do you see it out there? Maybe on the wall or something?"

Tim looked at him as if he was an idiot as he growled, "Jason, this isn't some movie where they just leave the keys out for anyone to get a hold of!"

Jason grunted in annoyance, opening his mouth to say something else. But, before either could react, Tim was suddenly hauled from his feet and over someone's shoulder. Tim shouted in surprised, slamming his fists into the back of the assailant. Jason watched with a startled expression until the face of what must have been Damian al Ghul came into view.

Jason had yet to see him as Damian. The last time he had laid his eyes on him he was some nameless attacker in his apartment, assisting in their capture. But, now…He had an identity and as much as Jason didn't want to admit it, it _fit._

He looked too much like Bruce for it not to fit.

And Jason could have sworn he was looking into those same blue eyes that held so much emotion. Bottled up and hidden away, only to surface rarely. Jason's fingers tightened around the bars and he shouted suddenly as Damian stood straight, Tim over his shoulder, "Put him down!"

Something glinted in the back of those blue eyes. Defiance…Amusement.

"I am afraid not, Todd," Damian spat out the name like it was vile in his mouth. "I do not take orders from street rats such as you."

Jason rattled the bars in frustration, but not because of the name calling. But because Damian turned without another word to him, as if dismissing him completely. Like he wasn't relevant and that brought back so many memories of being Robin and being shoved aside by everyone else because of his temper of his age.

And it melted away…His face fell into one of tragedy when he peered as far as he could down the hall. Tim had managed to push against Damian's back enough to raise his head as he was carried away. He called, tears pricking his eyes, "Jason!"

It sounded like Tim didn't even know why he was calling out so desperately, but he sounded utterly terrified right now. The rage returned immediately and Jason shouted, "We'll get out of here, kid! I swear!"

Tim gripped his hands into fists, the fabric of Damian's black cloak wrapping between them. Damian had this smell of a cedar chest that was always clinging to him and Tim wondered why for just a moment. The arms wrapped around his legs tightened, causing the teen to cringe.

Damian's voice hissed, "He should not make empty promises."

Tim's eyes narrowed…Hatred filling his bones…

"It wasn't empty," He said confidently, but his voice still shook. "It was the most sincere thing I've heard in days."

* * *

The panic wasn't too great. Not to the point of wanting to scream, but enough that their palms were sweating and they were shaking a bit. Jade's fever was high…Too high for her own good. It was most likely stress and being out in the freezing weather so long.

Life threatening: Unlikely.

Nerve wracking: Positively.

To the ones who weren't her family, the worry was selfish. Selfish because of the fact they thought that if something did happen and the fever got too high, they would lose their only witness to Tim and Jason's kidnapping. But, they couldn't be blamed. Because the others had family of their own to worry about.

Her family however, cared about her well-being most of all.

As soon as the Bat-Wing landed in the cave, the top of it slid back and both Roy and Artemis were lifting Jade from the aircraft. The others followed in suit and Bruce gave a stiff gesture to one of the medical beds in the cave, though it was clear he wasn't comfortable with the fact an assassin was so close to the identities of Batman. It didn't honestly matter anymore because it seemed too many people knew.

Wally was the first to notice when he tore his eyes away from where Artemis and Roy were setting up a medical area to get Jade hooked to the many machines and work to get her fever down. He noticed the other three occupants in the cave, causing him to grab Dick by his arm and point towards them.

Dick turned, stare following where his friend was gesturing until his eyes narrowed considerably behind the mask he was still wearing.

Alfred stood there, his arms crossed over his chest with a disapproving look on his face as both Bart and Jaime stood beside him, staring at the ground as if they had done something terrible.

"Bruce," Dick stated, grabbing the older man's attention. Bruce stared at his eldest questioningly until Dick made the same gesture Wally had towards the boys and butler. The bat glare soon followed once the Dark Knight realized what he was seeing. And immediately he approached the boys.

Dick and Wally followed hurriedly after making sure Roy and Artemis had things with Jade under control. The first thing they heard of the conversation was Alfred explaining, "I found these two boys in the cave, accessing some of your off limits files, Sir."

Both Dick and Wally paused. The dark haired teen leaned over towards the red head, whispering, "That seems to be happening a lot lately."

Bruce shot his eldest a glare before looking back at the two young boys. Both Bart and Jaime were shaking, and Jaime shot the younger a look before growling, "I told you this was a bad idea."

"Psh," Bart scoffed. "You never said that. You even offered to help me break in _again_."

Jaime's eyes widened and he looked at Batman who was giving him an icy stare, crossing his arms over his chest. Jaime waved his hands about quickly, stuttering, "S-sir, I never said that! I would never-"

"Oh but you did," Wally cut in, raising a finger to quiet the flailing teen. His eyes then moved to Bart before he ordered sternly, "Explain before I call Barry."

Bart groaned at that statement, muttering something about how he had just gotten his computer back from the last time he was grounded. The child shifted on his feet, shrugging his shoulders as if it would wipe away the nerves. Because he knew he shouldn't talk about this. He shouldn't tell them anything because it could completely screw up everything. There was a quiet breath before he began to explain.

"I just…I didn't understand," Bart said in a hushed tone. "None of this…And I mean none of this had happened in my time and I was so confused. Tim was never supposed to disappear again…B-but…Well, when I found the file about Bruce's child…" He trailed off, looking at the man. It seemed Bruce's worries had just been confirmed and all of the adults surrounding him had contorted faces that were perplexed.

Finally he continued quickly with, "I mean…Damian was in _my _time too, but he-"

Bart was cut off suddenly when Dick snapped, "Who the hell is Damian?"

Bart swallowed, a bead of sweat rolling down his face…

"_Don't say it…It's not time yet."_

"He's Batman and Talia's son," The response was forced and sudden. He wasn't sure if he had even said it until he saw the widening of Dick's eyes behind his mask and the narrowing of Batman's. Instead of stopping he murmured the final part, "He'd be about sixteen right now I think…"

Batman moved suddenly, away from the others and up the stairs, exiting the cave. Bart shut his eyes at the response, ignoring the voices of Wally and Dick beginning to ramble over the new found news. Bruce would brood and continue looking for Tim. He would wonder and he would blame himself for all of this.

Because that's what Batman does best.

Bart looked at Jaime, whispering…

"I just screwed up royally."

* * *

Talia was leaning back tiredly in the leather office chair, staring at her only son. Damian had a cold look in his eyes that seemed to be attempting to mask frustration. But, she could read him. She could read him better than anyone she supposed. She had never been the warmest mother…Not by a long shot…But, she was his mother and that's all that needed to be known. That's all she needed to know.

"He tried to escape," Damian huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "He managed to make it to Todd's cell, though I stopped him before he could get him out."

Talia hummed and asked, "Did you move him?"

Damian nodded, "To a sturdier cell, yes. He won't be picking locks with glass shards anytime soon I suppose."

Talia breathed deeply through her nose, folding her hands together in her lap. She was tired. Exhausted. She'd never say that out loud of course because work around here is never done. Especially with the Winter Solstice only a few weeks away, they needed to prepare for Ra's al Ghul's return.

"Very well," Talia stated. "We will begin his conditioning tomorrow."

A look flashed over Damian's eyes that Talia barely managed to see. A look of shock and maybe…Fear. She shook her head and rolled her eyes slightly at the response. Damian only hissed, "So soon?"

"Yes," She growled. "Do not question me, boy. Think of repercussions before you speak."

Damian stiffened and apologized, "I am sorry, Mother."

She hummed again, sitting up straight in the chair as she mused, "It will be interesting to see how he responds. Old demons coming back to haunt him will be quite painful emotionally. Maybe even physically…" She trailed off, deep in thought before she seemed to remember where she was exactly and ordered, "Go now, leave me for the night."

Damian did not argue and instead gave a courteous bow and turned to leave the room. She watched him leave and as she did, she whispered to herself.

"So stubborn. Just like your father."

* * *

Tim was shaking. He couldn't stop and for a moment he thought about just slamming his head against the wall to knock himself out and make it stop. Make the thoughts stop. Make the fear and the anxiety stop. But, even when he was asleep it all followed him. It followed him wherever he went now and it would never go away…Or at least that's what he thought.

His eyes glanced around his new room, taking it in. It was a bit larger than the other room. But, this one had no vases and even if it did, the lock had a latch that had to be opened with a key. It made him angry and he didn't know why exactly.

Flexing his hand, he felt the tug of the bandage that covered the cut on his hand from the glass. The nurse who had wrapped it had been kind and gentle and Tim was thankful for that. He had needed some kindness. Something to make him feel a bit at peace.

Frustration filled him. He had been so close to getting himself and Jason out of here and he had failed. He had failed and now it would be even more difficult to get out. Not to mention the fact there was no telling what his punishment would be for this. Escape attempts were expected, right? They couldn't have possibly thought he wouldn't at least try to get out of here.

Suddenly, Tim's body went rigid when the sound of the door opening filled the room. He didn't have to look up from his bandaged hand to know it was Damian. Something about the way his shadow carried itself gave it away. Not the height or the size…Just the posture. It was so sure of itself, and yet there was this confusion there that he couldn't exactly read.

Tim gritted his teeth as he heard Damian sigh and sit across the room from Tim's matt on the floor. He heard him open his book that he always brought with him. Tim wondered what it was about, but he didn't ask. It was in Arabic, so he doubted he would understand the title.

There were only two sentences spoken as Damian muttered emotionlessly, "Go to sleep. You will start your conditioning tomorrow."

Tim didn't need to be told twice. He lay down onto the clean matt, shutting his eyes tightly.

His last thought before slumber took him was…

"_Conditioning…That doesn't sound good."_

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Please review!


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